Contempt Proceedings Okayed Against Cartoonist For Criticising Top Court

Delhi | Wednesday | 2nd December, 2020

Summary:

New Delhi: Attorney General KK Venugopal has given consent to initiate contempt proceedings against cartoonist Rachita Taneja for her illustrations against the Supreme Court.

The cartoonist had tweeted a series of illustrations, which Mr Venugopal said was "gross insinuation" against the top court of the country and "audacious assault and insult to the institution".

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New Delhi: Attorney General KK Venugopal has given consent to initiate contempt proceedings against cartoonist Rachita Taneja for her illustrations against the Supreme Court.

The cartoonist had tweeted a series of illustrations, which Mr Venugopal said was "gross insinuation" against the top court of the country and "audacious assault and insult to the institution".

In her tweets, Rachita Taneja, who tweets from the handle "Sanitary Panels" made a cartoon on the Supreme Court granting bail to Republic TV editor Arnab Goswami.

Mr Goswami was arrested over the suicide of an architect, Anvay Naik, and his mother in 2018.

While granting him interim bail a week later, a two-judge bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and Indira Banerjee had pulled up the Maharashtra government over the journalist`s arrest and said: "If we as a constitutional court do not lay down law and protect liberty, then who will?"

There were other illustrations as well where the top court was mentioned.

The nod from the government`s top law officer came in response to an appeal from a law student.

Recently, the Attorney General had also given consent to contempt proceedings against stand-up artist Kunal Kamra for his criticism of the Supreme Court.