Prashant Bhushan's choice: 3 months jail & 3 years SC disbarment, or Rs 1 fine & his pride

The Supreme Court on Monday directed Advocate Prashant Bhushan to pay a fine of 1 Rupee after he was found guilty of contempt of court for two tweets made by him in the recent past. 

The Supreme Court 3-judge bench pronounced its verdict after hearing arguments from all sides and reserving the verdict on the quantum of punishment that can be awarded to Bhushan last week.

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Bhushan, who could’ve been sentenced to 6 months in prison or up to ₹2000 in fine has been let off with merely a token fine of 1 rupee with the Supreme Court stating that failure to pay it would result in three months in prison and three-year disbarment from practising in the Supreme Court. 

The bench also criticised Bhushan’s actions during the pendency of the contempt case against him stating that he had tried to interfere with the ongoing judicial process by releasing his statements in the press even before they were filed before the top court. This is not the first time that the Supreme Court has pulled up Bhushan for making press statements on sub-judice matters. 

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The fine, though symbolic in nature, puts on record the fact that Bhushan, a practising lawyer, was adjudged guilty of contempt of court by the highest court in the country and consequently punished for it. This, despite multiple former Supreme Court judges speaking out in favour of Bhushan after the Supreme Court had initiated suo motu contempt proceedings against him for his two tweets criticising the incumbent and former Chief Justices. 

Bhushan has been directed to pay the fine before September 15 and had also earlier expressed his willingness to file a review petition challenging the Supreme Court decision that found him guilty of contempt of court. With Justice Arun Mishra, who was heading the 3-judge bench, retiring on September 2, the review petition (if filed) will have to be listed before a different bench of the Supreme Court. Photos of him handing Rajeev Dhavan a Re 1 coin have since been ed, though payment of the fine will happen via DD.

READ | SC reserves verdict on quantum of sentence against Prashant Bhushan in contempt case

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