Taking suo motu cognizance of the ink-throwing incident by a man at Sahara chief Subrata Roy on apex court premises, the Supreme Court on Wednesday issued contempt notice to him.
A Bench headed by Justice R M Lodha said, “Prima facie it indicates that the man was trying to obstruct the administration of justice, which amounts to contempt of court.”
The court issued notice to Manoj Sharma seeking his response why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against him and asked him to respond within three weeks.
The Bench also asked Attorney General G E Vahanvati about the mental condition of Sharma.
The AG said there is nothing to suggest about his mental condition and that he seems to be a publicity monger as he had earlier thrown a shoe at Congress MP Suresh Kalmadi.
Vahanvati informed the Bench that he got a fake death certificate issued in the name of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The Bench posted the case for hearing on March 24.
Sharma, who hails from Gwalior, had on Tuesday thrown ink at Sahara chief’s face when he was being brought to the Supreme Court amid chaotic scenes. Sharma was then beaten up by some lawyers who had gathered there and later was taken by the police to Tilak Marg police station.
Sharma Jailed
Sharma was on Wednesday sent to the Tihar jail by a local court here after he failed to get surety for his bail.
He was produced before Special Executive Magistrate Rai Singh Khatri, who remanded him in judicial custody till March 11 after the police did not seek his custodial interrogation.
The police have booked Sharma under Section 107 (abetment) and 151 (knowingly joining or continuing in assembly of five or more persons after being commanded to disperse) of the IPC.
The magistrate granted bail to Sharma, but he was sent to judicial custody after he failed to get surety.
The police also informed the magistrate that Sharma would face trial in many other cases and that he was allegedly mentally unsound. Sharma had thrown ink on Roy when the Sahara chief was brought to the apex court in connection with a matter, in which a non-bailable warrant was issued against him.
The police also told the court that Sharma had previously hurled a slipper at Congress leader Suresh Kalmadi in April 2010, when he was brought in custody in a Commonwealth Games graft case.