Mohit Singh
The Supreme Court on Friday issued show-cause notices to Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut and journalist Nikhil Wagle in criminal contempt proceedings over their public remarks concerning Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and the judiciary. A bench comprising the CJI and Justice Joymalya Bagchi exempted both men from personal appearance for now, saying it would first consider their explanations.
The notices were issued on a contempt plea filed by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA). SCBA president and senior advocate Pradeep Rai argued that the remarks went beyond fair criticism and could undermine public confidence in the Supreme Court. “We are giving a show-cause as of now. Of course we are granting exemption for personal appearance. Let us see,” the bench said, according to The Hindu BusinessLine.
What triggered the contempt action
The controversy centres on remarks Raut made during a media interaction on October 12, in which he claimed to have seen 60 to 70 judges, including the CJI, playing badminton with BJP leaders in London. The remarks came after CJI Kant declined to meet Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, who had sought to hand over a memorandum concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The CJI had explained that convening such a meeting to discuss pending cases would contravene the constitutional principle of separation of powers, an intrinsic facet of the basic structure doctrine. Raut’s response was pointed. “You can meet them, play with them, have dinner or lunch with them, with Chief Ministers. You can suddenly resign to join a political party,” he said, as quoted by BarandBench.
Raut told to explain conduct in SIR plea
A day earlier, on Thursday, the same bench had asked Raut to explain his conduct in a separate but related matter: the petition filed by Rahul Gandhi and other INDIA bloc leaders challenging the Election Commission’s SIR exercise and its functioning. Raut is among the petitioners in that case.
The bench said it was allowing him to participate in the proceedings only on a provisional basis. “In W.P. (C) No. 1351/2026 (Item 25), the petition on behalf of Petitioner No. 6 is entertained on a provisional basis, subject to his explaining his conduct,” the bench said in its order, as reported by BarandBench.
The apex court on Wednesday issued notice on the opposition leaders’ plea, returnable on October 27, and ordered that the matter be tagged with the pending batch of petitions. The petition names the Election Commission of India, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi as respondents.
Attorney General grants consent for contempt proceedings
Attorney General R Venkataramani has granted consent for initiating criminal contempt proceedings against Raut and Wagle over their remarks concerning the CJI and the judiciary, BarandBench reported. Such consent is a procedural requirement before criminal contempt petitions can be moved.
Appearing for the SCBA, senior advocate Pradeep Rai submitted that the lawyers’ association was pained to initiate contempt proceedings but felt that ignoring such remarks could encourage others to make similar statements. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was present in the courtroom, said some people made such remarks deliberately, believing they could exert pressure on the judiciary, but that such attempts would prove futile.
Reactions in court
Expressing concern over statements targeting the judiciary, CJI Kant observed that courts had consistently upheld personal liberty and fundamental rights, making attacks on the institution particularly unfortunate. During the hearing, the CJI also observed that people often failed to realise they were being trapped by those instigating them.
The SCBA had pressed for the personal appearance of the respondents, but the bench decided to issue show-cause notices first. The court will consider their explanations before deciding the next steps in the proceedings.
The SIR challenge behind the standoff
Raut is among 13 opposition leaders who approached the Supreme Court on October 12, challenging the SIR exercise and alleging large-scale voter deletions and irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls. Other petitioners include Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Trinamool Congress leader Saugata Roy, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, according to IANS.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the Supreme Court issue a contempt notice to Sanjay Raut?
The court issued a show-cause notice in criminal contempt proceedings over Raut’s remarks about Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, including his claim of seeing judges playing badminton with BJP leaders in London. The Supreme Court Bar Association filed the contempt plea.
Who else received the contempt notice?
Senior journalist Nikhil Wagle received a show-cause notice alongside Raut. Both have been exempted from personal appearance at this stage.
What is the SIR plea Sanjay Raut is part of?
It is a petition filed by Rahul Gandhi and other INDIA bloc leaders challenging the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Raut is petitioner number 6, and his petition is being entertained provisionally, subject to his explaining his conduct. The next hearing date is October 27.
What did the CJI say about the declined meeting?
CJI Surya Kant declined to meet Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge to receive a memorandum on the SIR exercise, saying convening a meeting to discuss pending cases would be contrary to the constitutional principle of separation of powers.
