SC issues show cause notice to Kunal Kamra, Rachita Taneja in contempt cases

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday issued a show cause notice to comedian Kunal Kamra and cartoonist Rachita Taneja in an objectionable tweet case.

A division bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, R. Subhash Reddy and MR Shah has given the duo, six weeks to submit their reply and said that both need to appear in person.

Attorney General KK Venugopal had given his approval to initiate the contempt action.

Kamra and Taneja had posted controversial tweets after the Apex Court granted bail to Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami in an abetment to suicide case of an interior designer and his mother.

The Attorney General had stated that the tweets by Kamra were “not only in bad taste but clearly cross the line between humor and contempt of the court.”

Dissatisfied by the court’s verdict, Kamra called the SC as a “joke” and used derogatory language against senior lawyer Harish Salve and Justice D Y Chandrachud. On the other hand cartoonist Taneja had allegedly posted “objectionable” cartoons illustrating an alleged nexus between the Supreme Court and the government.

Kamra has refused to tender an apology to the court and stood by his tweets.

Those who have filed petitions against Kunal Kamra include Abhyudaya Mishra, Skanda Bajpayee and Srirang Katneshwar, while law student Aditya Kashyap has filed a petition against Rachita Taneja.

Recently, the Apex Court had held civil rights activist and senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan guilty in another contempt of court case. He was asked to pay Re 1 as fine. (UNI)