KOLKATA/NEW DELHI, Aug 16:
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was today dragged to the Calcutta High Court which took up an oral plea for contempt action over her allegation that many judgements are “delivered” for money.
A contempt petition was also filed in the Supreme Court by J&K Panthers’ Party founder and senior advocate Bhim Singh, who alleged that Banerjee’s comments has the inevitable effect of “undermining” the confidence of the public in the Indian judiciary as “it tends to lower the integrity, reputation and authority” of the judicial system.
Under intense attack from political parties and the legal fraternity for the controversial remark, the feisty Trinamool Congress leader claimed she had merely spoken about a “value- based judiciary” and accused the media of distorting her statement.
“I spoke about value-based judiciary. I spoke about value-based media. What is the harm? Whenever the court gives the order, I will accept,” she said.
A division bench of the Calcutta High Court took up the oral plea for initiating suo motu contempt proceedings against Banerjee after another bench headed by the Chief Justice Justice J N Patel refused to take any suo motu cognizance of the matter earlier in the day.
The plea was made by senior counsel Bikash Bhattacharya before the division bench, comprising Justice Kalyan Jyoti Sengupta and Justice A K Mondal, in the wake of the comments on the judiciary at a seminar in the West Bengal Assembly premises on August 14.
“What I am seeing, many court judgements are today delivered in return for money,” Banerjee had stated,
Bhattacharya submitted copies of the two newspapers and CDs containing the news items run by two news channels on Banerjee’s alleged comments to support his case.
The bench directed the two English national dailies and two vernacular news channels to submit affidavits within three weeks stating the authenticity of their reports.
The matter would come up for hearing before the bench after four weeks.
The question of whether any contempt proceeding would be initiated against the Chief Minister would come up after examination of the affidavits by the court, lawyers said.
“Both types of people are there in the world. There are good people and there are bad people. All political leaders are corrupt, it is not that,” Banerjee said.
“Similarly, all Judges are corrupt, I have never said this. Judges are not corrupt. Lawyers are not corrupt. I had not said this. I had spoken about value-based Judiciary, need for judicial reforms, political reforms…And the need for state funding of elections. If that is wrong, then I will repeat it a thousand times,” she added.
Earlier in the morning, a section of lawyers led by counsel Subrata Mukhopadhyay had moved the court of Chief Justice J N Patel and Justice Joymalyo Bagchi seeking suo motu contempt proceedings against the Chief Minister.
The bench refused to take up the matter suo motu and said that Mukhopadhyay could file a contempt petition before the court and the matter would be heard accordingly.
The Chief Justice’s bench had observed that the Chief Minister had expressed her personal opinion and the judiciary was not disturbed at any such alleged comment. (PTI)
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