SC: Lawyer should be prosecuted for making allegations against judges

The Supreme Court ruled that the Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan who had made allegations of corruption against the judges including the Chief Justice of India S H Kapadia, is liable to be prosecuted for the contempt of court.

A bench headed by Justice Altamash Kabir held that the contempt of court petition filed against Mr Bhushan is maintainable as unsubstantiated allegations of corruption against the judiciary as a whole amounted to maligning the image of judiciary therefore Mr Bhushan will have to pay the contempt of court proceedings.

Mr Bhushan is the son of former Union Law Minister and a leading lawyer Shanti Bhushan and the NGO committee run by them for judicial accountability, was in the forefront of the campaign against Karnataka Chief Justice P D Dinakaran who is facing allegations of corruption and land grabbing and his elevation to the Supreme Court was put on hold following exposures made by the committee.

Contempt of court petition was filed against Mr Bhushan by senior counsel Mr Harish Salve following an interview given to Tehelka news magazine by Mr Bhushan making allegations of corruption against the Supreme Court judges.

That Judicial accountability bill must be passed.