Nageswara Rao's apology not unconditional, wilfully disobeyed orders: SC

The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected the defence put by former CBI interim director M Nageswara Rao and legal advisor S Bhasuram to escape punishment for contempt of court saying their apology was not unconditional "though it was stated to be so" and they have willfully disobeyed its orders.

"The apology tendered, though stated to be unconditional, is not so. There is a submission/contention that the actions were not willful, with which contention, we are in total disagreement," a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said in its order.

The bench also comprising justices L Nageswara Rao and Sanjiv Khanna said it was exercising its power under Article 129 of the Constitution for commission of contempt of court by sentencing them "till the rising of the Court"
"We do not understand how when the file was pending at the stage of approval of the relieving order by Rao, Bhasuram could have bona fide given the opinion that the officer was' relieved, namely, how Bhasuram could have used the