Markandey Katju and a view of Supreme Court. Onmanorama/PTI file photosNew Delhi: A day after he was slapped with a contempt of court notice by the Supreme Court, former SC judge Markandey Katju Saturday hit back at the top court's bench and said that what happened in the courtroom Friday was a 'pre-planned surgical strike'.
In an unprecedented action, the Supreme Court Friday issued notice of contempt to its former judge Katju for using 'intemperate' language and 'scandalizing' judiciary as he appeared before a bench and had heated exchanges with it over the Soumya murder case of Kerala.
A bench comprising justices Ranjan Gogoi, P.C. Pant and U.U. Lalit said Katju's statement in a recent blog constituted a serious assault on judges and not on the judgment and therefore the notice of contempt to him.
Taking his displeasure to Facebook Saturday, Katju wrote: “For long I have been speaking out against the misdeeds of (H.L) Dattu, (T.S.) Thakur, Anil Dave, and their ilk. So apart from ostracising me ( I am never invited to parties by judges and senior lawyers where retired judges are often invited ) my guess about the event yesterday in Gogoi's courtroom is that a 'surgical strike' was pre planned by Thakur, Dave etc. in cahoots with Gogoi to humiliate me and issue a contempt of court notice to me in order to silence me, and also give a warning to others not to speak out about the misdeeds of judges.”
“Yesterday in Gogoi's courtroom, where I had come in connection with Soumya's case, I had sat in the front row of lawyers, but I noticed that in the second row many people in plainclothes, who I later realized were security people, were sitting. Evidently Gogoi had shamelessly ordered them earlier to sit there ( though those chairs were meant for lawyers ), and Gogoi had pre planned to have me physically thrown out of the courtroom at some juncture. The whole 'hearing' in Gogoi's courtroom was a drama, as I later realized,” he added.
“This is the shameless level to which people like Gogoi and others who planned all this drama can sink,” Katju wrote.
On Friday, Katju protested against the contempt of court notice saying the judges were threatening him and it was not proper for them to behave in such manner with a former judge of the apex court.
"I am not scared of it. Don't give me threat," the former judge remarked as Justice Gogoi pronounced the order in a surcharged atmosphere.
Justice Gogoi warned him saying 'don't provoke us any more' to which Katju said, "You are provoking me by this type of threat. You requested me to come here and assist you."
At this point, Justice Gogoi asked, "Is there somebody to escort Justice Katju (out)". Katju replied, "What is this behavior? On your request I came here. Is this the way I am to be treated."
However, the bench continued with the dictation of the order saying that prima facie the statement (of Katju) constituted a serious assault on judges and not on judgment. Therefore a notice of contempt."
The issue of contempt was raised after the bench had dismissed the review petitions filed by Kerala government and mother of Soumya challenging the acquittal of the convict of the murder charge.
Justice Katju was summoned as he in his blog had claimed that there was error in the judgment acquitting the accused for the murder and he was asked to assist the bench during the hearing of the review petition.
Addressing Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Katju said a Supreme Court judge should not behave like this and it was like a threat to him.
"Don't try to be funny with me. I came on your request. Don't treat me like this," he said after Justice Ranjan Gogoi pronounced the order as to why a contempt proceeding be not initiated against him for scandalizing the judiciary.
(With agency inputs)
