The Supreme Court on Friday initiated criminal contempt proceedings against YouTube journalist Ajay Shukla for making defamatory and scandalous remarks against Justice Surya Kant, the senior-most judge of the apex court and next in line to become the Chief Justice of India (CJI). A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice B.R. Gavai, along with Justices A.G. Masih and A.S. Chandurkar, took cognisance of a 150-second YouTube video where Shukla allegedly attributed baseless motives to Justice Kant. The court noted that while freedom of speech is guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a), it is subject to reasonable restrictions under Article 19(2), particularly when it concerns the judiciary’s integrity.

The remarks targeted Justice Kant for his handling of a case involving Madhya Pradesh minister Vijay Shah, whose derogatory comments against Col Sofiya Qureshi were strongly rebuked by a bench led by Justice Kant. The same bench had also addressed matters involving Ashoka University professor Ali Khan and another case concerning objectionable comments on 'Operation Sindoor'. Terming Shukla’s comments as “scathingly scandalous,” the Supreme Court bench emphasized that unfounded personal attacks on judges compromise the administration of justice and public confidence in the judiciary.

The apex court directed its registry to register a criminal contempt case against Shukla and ordered the removal of the contentious video from YouTube. The court also barred social media platforms from circulating the video further. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Attorney General R. Venkataramani, whose assistance was sought by the court, described the video as defamatory. The case is scheduled for a detailed hearing in July, and Shukla has been asked to file his response before that. The court’s response echoes its 2020 stance in the Prashant Bhushan case, reiterating that attacks on judges undermine judicial independence.