SC Initiates Contempt Proceedings Against Youtuber For Scandalous And Defamatory Remarks Against A Judge

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday initiated suo motu contempt proceedings against Chandigarh-based journalist and YouTuber Ajay Shukla for his scandalous, defamatory, and contemptuous remarks against a senior judge of the apex court in a video uploaded on his YouTube channel.

The matter was taken up by a bench led by Chief Justice of India B R Gavai and comprising justices Augustine George Masih and AS Chandurkar. The apex court issued a notice to Shukla, the Editor-in-Chief of Varprad Media. Shukla recently posted a video making remarks against retired judge Justice Bela M Trivedi.

“Shukla, in the said video clip has made scandalous observations for one of the senior judges of this court. Such allegations widely published on YouTube, are likely to bring disrepute to the august institution of the judiciary. No doubt that the Constitution guarantees freedom of speech, at the same time the right is subjected to reasonable restrictions”, said the CJI.

The bench said that a person cannot be allowed to make defamatory allegations regarding judges of this court. “The remarks which are contemptuous in nature, which bring disrepute to the institution of judiciary”, said the CJI.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the remarks were “very serious” and expressed his gratitude to the bench for taking up suo motu cognisance of the issue.

The bench directed that the offending video be immediately taken down and also restrained the channel from republishing it or similar content.

“We direct the registry to register the case as a suo motu contempt against Ajay Shukla. The YouTube channel shall be made a party respondent. The Attorney General and the Solicitor General are requested to assist the court,” said the apex court, in its order.

The bench said by an interim order, it restrains the YouTube channel to stop publication of the video and forthwith take it down.