Justice Markandey Katju apologises for criticising judges, verdict; SC accepts apology

The SC has accepted Justice Markandey ​Katju's apology and closed the contempt proceedings against him.

New Delhi: Former Supreme Court judge, Justice Markandey Katju, on Friday tendered an unconditional apology in a contempt case for criticising judges and their judgement in Saumya rape and murder case.

The SC has accepted Justice Katju's apology and closed the contempt proceedings against him.

Closing the case, the bench of Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Uday Umesh Lalit in their order said: "In view of the apology tendered, we accept and close the proceeding."

"I offer my unconditional apology for publishing the above-captioned writings and have deleted the same from my blog entries on Facebook," Katju said in his apology that was read out in the court by senior counsel Rajeev Dhavan appearing for him.

"I express my respect for the judicial appointment process and for the judiciary as an institution of governance," he said.

Urging the court to take his unconditional apology on record, Katju told the court: "I am prepared to read it in open court if I am called upon to do so."

On December 09, Justice Katju, in his application, had said that he has deleted all the Facebook posts, and respected the judicial process and judiciary.

A bench of Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Prafulla C Pant and Justice Uday Umesh Lalit had on November 11 issued the notice to Justice Katju as to why contempt proceedings cannot be initiated against him for casting aspersion against the judges in a blog.

Justice Katju had said that top court had erred in setting aside the death sentence merely on the grounds that prosecution could not establish whether the victim had jumped from the train or was pushed out of it by the assailant.

The top court, while setting aside the death sentence, had also noted the doctors' opinion which said that injuries caused by the assailant alone could not have been the cause of the death.

(With IANS inputs)