'Nobody Can Browbeat Us' : Supreme Court In Plea Against October 12 March By Political Leaders; Issues Notice
“We are not sitting in ivory towers. We know what statements they make outside and what they say in Court. We know everything,” the CJI said.
The Supreme Court today issued notice on a plea seeking a regulatory framework for protests and processions near judicial complexes.
The plea also seeks criminal contempt proceedings against political leaders including Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra.
The pleas were filed over a march towards the Supreme Court on October 12 by political leaders and supporters over issues concerning the Election Commission of India and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The march came after the CJI declined a request by the Leaders of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to meet him and submit a memorandum on the issues, observing that they were already pending before the Court.
During the hearing, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant orally observed that “nobody can browbeat” the Court.
A bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi issued notice on two pleas seeking similar reliefs. The Court also directed preservation of CCTV footage of the Supreme Court premises
During the hearing, Senior Advocate Gaurav Bhatia for the petitioner submitted that it was unacceptable that the Supreme Court was having to deal with a political procession. He said that what had happened at the Supreme Court should not have happened and referred to the anguish among lawyers over the incident.
Bhatia told the Court that around 200 lawyers had signed a memorandum expressing concern that such conduct amounted to “browbeating”.
“Nobody can browbeat us,” the CJI responded.
Bhatia, however, submitted that the attempt itself was worrisome. He also sought preservation of CCTV footage of the Court, contending that a pregnant lady journalist was pushed during the March.
Responding to the submissions, the CJI said that such attempts were “fragile” and that nobody took notice of them. He added that the Court was aware of developments outside its premises.
“We are not sitting in ivory towers. We know what statements they make outside and what they say in Court. We know everything,” the CJI said.
The Court directed all law enforcement agencies to preserve CCTV or any other digital footage/material collected by them.
The plea filed by advocates Digant Mishra and three other advocates seeks guidelines regulating demonstrations around the Supreme Court and High Courts, an absolute prohibition on political protests inside judicial complexes, and preservation of CCTV footage and security records relating to the October 12 events.
The petition also seeks guidelines against political campaigns intended to influence pending judicial proceedings and asks the Supreme Court to consider criminal contempt proceedings against the named political leaders.