Allegations against SC judges: 3-month jail for three

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday sentenced three men to three-months imprisonment after they were held guilty of contempt of court for levelling "scurrilous and scandalous allegations" against sitting apex court judges.

A bench comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and Anirudhha Bose said, "In view of the scurrilous and scandalous allegations levelled against the judges of this court and no remorse being shown by any of the contemnors, we are of the considered view that they cannot be let off leniently."

The three men who have been sentenced include Indian Bar Association national president Nilesh Ojha, its Maharashtra and Goa state unit chief Vijay Kurle and Human Rights Security Council national secretary Rashid Khan Pathan.

The contemnors had made serious allegations against Justices R.F. Nariman and Vineet Saran in a contempt case against Mumbai-based lawyer Mathew J. Nedumpara. Meanwhile, one of the contemnors filed an application seeking recusal of Justice Gupta citing that the bench is in a hurry to decide the matter. However, the application was dismissed.

The contemnors also filed a recall of the judgement, which held them guilty. "No recall application can lie on these grounds and the proper remedy for the contemnors is to file a review petition, if so advised. We, therefore, reject all the three recall applications as being not maintainable without expressing any opinion on the grounds raised therein," said the top court. The Supreme Court also observed that none of them argued on the sentence.