YouTuber faces contempt proceedings for defamatory remarks against judges

The bench directed that the offending video be immediately taken down and restrained the YouTube channel from republishing it or similar content.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday initiated suo motu contempt proceedings against Chandigarh-based journalist and YouTuber Ajay Shukla for his “scandalous”, defamatory and contemptuous remarks against a few apex court judges in a video uploaded on his channel.

A bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justices Augustine George Masih and AS Chandurkar also directed that the offending video be immediately taken down and restrained the YouTube channel from republishing it or similar content.

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It also issued a notice to Shukla, the editor-in-chief of Varprad Media.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta described the remarks as “very serious” and expressed his gratitude to the bench for taking up suo motu cognisance of the issue.

“Such scandalous allegations widely published are likely to bring disrepute to the august institution of the judiciary. No doubt the Constitution guarantees freedom of speech. But this freedom is subject to reasonable restrictions.

“A person cannot be permitted to make allegations which are in the nature of defaming a judge of this Court and also contemptuous in nature, which attempts to bring disrepute to the institution of the judiciary,” the CJI said.

“We direct the registry to register the case as a suo motu contempt against Ajay Shukla. The YouTube channel shall be made a party respondent. The Attorney General (R Venkataramani) and the Solicitor General (Tushar Mehta) are requested to assist the court,” it ordered.

The bench said by an interim order, it restrains the YouTube channel to stop publication of the video and forthwith take it down.

Shukla recently posted a video making remarks against retired judge Bela M Trivedi.