New Delhi, Mar 28: Anguished over the manner in which media "scandalised" the three judges of the Karnataka High Court by linking them to Mysore sex scandal without basis, the Supreme Court today threw a challenge to the scribes to "come out with the truth" so that action could be taken against persons involved in it. A three-judge bench comprising chief justice V N Khare, Justice S B Sinha and Justice A R Lakshmanan said that it was not the intention of the court to punish anybody but the fact remains that the media acted "in a very irresponsible manner" while flashing the story across the nation. While adjourning the hearing on a bunch of petitions filed by editors, printers, publishers and reporters of 11 dailies and publications challenging the initiation of contempt proceedings against them by the Karnataka High Court, the Chief Justice of India said, "Our purpose is not to punish anybody but are these people ready to come out with the truth even now?"
Expressing deep anguish over the media stories that were circulated linking the judges to the scandal, the Chief Justice of India said, "Speaking for myself, truth is a defence in contempt matters. But you come out with the truth, I will take stern action. I will ask the judges to quit."

Referring to report of the high-level judicial panel headed by Bombay High Court Chief Justice which probed into the incident, Justice Khare said that none of the correspondents who wrote the story could give any basis to write stories linking the judges to the scandal.
Bureau Report