Justice Katju offers to apologise to SC for criticising judges, verdict

Former Supreme Court judge, Justice Markandey Katju on Friday offered to tender an unconditional apology in a contempt case for criticising judges and their judgment in Saumya rape and murder case.

Justice Katju, in his application, which was mentioned on Friday before a bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi, has said that he has deleted all the Facebook posts and respected the judicial process and judiciary.

After senior counsel Rajeev Dhavan mentioned the application for an early hearing, Justice Gogoi said that they would consider an early hearing of the same. The former judge has sought the closure of the contempt case initiated by the top court on November 11.

Requesting the hearing of his application before court closes for winter vacations, Justice Katju, in the application, has said: "I am ready to read out the apology before the court."

A bench of Justice 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.

--IANS

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