NCP hails SC's Re 1 fine to Prashant Bhushan; Majeed Memon appeals to senior advocate

Shortly after the Supreme Court pronounced its verdict on the contempt of court case against advocate Prashant Bhushan, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and advocate Majeed Memon hailed the Supreme Court's observations in the case saying that everyone needed to come together to work for the glory and prestige our the courts. 

Pronouncing its verdict, the SC bench imposed a symbolic fine of Rs 1 on Prashant Bhushan after holding him guilty in the case, asking him to either pay the fine by September 15 or accept 3-month imprisonment and 3 years of debarment from practice in the apex court.

Read: 'Don’t Make Prashant Bhushan A Martyr': Rajeev Dhavan Tells SC In Contempt Of Court Case

Read: SC Reserves Verdict On Quantum Of Sentence Against Prashant Bhushan In Contempt Case

An apology would be 'contempt of conscience': Bhushan

Previously, a three-judge Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Arun Mishra, BR Gavai and Krishna Murari had reserved its verdict after Bhushan maintained that he had the highest regard for the institution. Attorney General KK Venugopal requested the bench to spare Bhushan from punishment and forgive or warn him, while Bhushan's counsel Rajeev Dhavan called for statesmanship from the court, asserting that Bhushan will not withdraw or apologise his statement. 

Bhushan said that if he retracted a statement he believed to be true or offer an insincere apology, it would amount to contempt of his conscience. Previously, the bench had directed Bhushan to tender an unconditional apology for his submitted statement by 24 August, fixing an August 25 date for the hearing.

SC holds Bhushan guilty

On 14 August, the SC had held Bhushan guilty of contempt of court for posting tweets to malign the image of the judiciary. Maintaining that Bhushan's tweet commenting on CJI SA Bobde's photo on a motorcycle in Nagpur and alleging the 'SC is under lockdown' was factually incorrect. It also said that the comments on the CJI  to hint that he is keeping the SC in lockdown was malicious and has a tendency to 'shake the confidence' of the public at large in the judiciary.

Observing on Bhushan's second tweet alleging the SC and the previous four CJI's role in the 'destruction of Indian democracy in the past 6 years', the SC said that the criticism is not against a particular judge but the institution of the Supreme Court and the institution of the CJI. Slamming the SC's ruling, prominent personalities, retired SC judges, senior lawyers, former bureaucrats, politicians, and human rights organisation have criticised the top court’s order against Bhushan.  In response, bar councils of Maharashtra and Goa unanimously passed a resolution to support the Supreme Court ruling.

Read: Prashant Bhushan Contempt Case: SC Bench To Pronounce Quantum Of Sentence On Monday

Read; Prashant Bhushan Refuses To Apologise Or Retract Statement & Tweets; Affirms Faith In SC