Chandigarh-based YouTuber gets SC notice for ‘scandalous’ remarks on judges

The Supreme Court on Friday initiated suo motu contempt proceedings against Chandigarh-based journalist and YouTuber Ajay Shukla for his ‘scandalous’ and contemptuous remarks against a few apex court judges in a video uploaded on his YouTube channel.Shukla recently posted a video making remarks against Justice Bela M Trivedi, who is due to retire on June 9.

A Bench, led by Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, directed that the offending video be immediately taken down. It also restrained the channel from republishing the video in question or similar content.

The Bench – which also included Justice Augustine George Masih and Justice AS Chandurkar -- issued a notice to Shukla, the Editor-in-Chief of Varprad Media. It also requested Attorney General R Venkataramani and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to assist it in the matter.

Mehta described the remarks as “very serious” and expressed his gratitude to the Bench for taking up suo motu cognisance of the issue.

“Shukla in the said video clip has made scandalous observations about some of the senior judges of this court. Such scandalous allegations widely published on YouTube are likely to bring disrepute to this august institution of judiciary,” the CJI said.

“Though the Constitution guarantees free speech, and expression but such a right is restricted by reasonable restrictions and one cannot be allowed to make defamatory allegations regarding judges of this court. The remarks which are contemptuous in nature bring disrepute to the institute of judiciary,” the Bench said.