NEW DELHI: In an interesting turn of developments, the officials of Supreme Court Registry were called to explain on Saturday the listing of a case filed by advocate Prashant Bhushan, journalist N Ram and former Union Minister Arun Shourie before a different bench when similar matters were already being heard by Justice Arun Mishra-led bench.
According to sources, a serious view has been taken of the "wrongful" listing of the matter on August 10 before a bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and KM Joseph. The matter has now been deleted from Justice Chandrachud’s bench.
“As per practice and procedure in use, the said matter should have been listed before the bench which is already seized with similar matters but it has been listed ignoring established practice and procedure,” the source added.
The petition has pleaded for declaring as unconstitutional a relevant provision in the contempt law that makes scandalising courts as a penal offence.This petition was filed soon after the Supreme Court had taken a suo motu congnisance of criminal contempt against Bhushan for his two tweets.
Subsequently, Bhushan had filed one more petition questioning the basis of initiation of the contempt proceedings against him. All these matters were heard by a bench, headed by Justice Arun Mishra, which reserved its judgment in the contempt case on August 5.