SC initiates contempt proceedings against YouTuber for defamatory remarks against judges

The Supreme Court on Friday, 30 May, initiated suo motu contempt proceedings against Chandigarh-based journalist and YouTuber Ajay Shukla for his "scandalous", defamatory and contemptuous remarks against a few apex court judges in a video uploaded on his YouTube channel.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai and justices Augustine George Masih and A.S. Chandurkar also directed that the offending video be immediately taken down and restrained the channel from republishing it or similar content.

It also issued a notice to Shukla, the editor-in-chief of Varprad Media.

Solicitor general Tushar 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.

The bench said though the Constitution guarantees free speech, and expression but “such a right is restricted by reasonable restrictions and 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.”

“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,” it ordered.

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

Shukla recently posted a video making remarks against retired justice Bela M. Trivedi.