SC clears Justice Katju over Gandhi, Netaji remarks

The apex court said that the remarks did not violate Katju's right to free speech and expression or in any way dent his reputation

Supreme Court on Monday said that prima facie comdemnation of Justice Markandey Katju by parliament for describing Mahatma Gandhi as a British agent and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose as a Japanese agent did not violate his right to free speech and expression or in any way dent his reputation.

An apex court bench, headed by Justice T S Thakur, while agreeing to further hear the matter, appointed senior counsel Fali Nariman as amicus curiae as Justice Katju's counsel Gopal Subramaniam told the court that he could not have been condemned by parliament without being given an opportunity to be heard.

Justice Katju , a former judge of Supreme Court and former chairman of the Press Council of India, in one of his blogs, had described Gandhi as a British agent and Netaji as a Japanese agent.

The Rajya Sabha and The Lok Sabha had passed unanimous resolutions condemning and deploring his statement.