Rafale: SC issues contempt notice to Rahul Gandhi

The Supreme Court Tuesday issued criminal contempt notice to Congress President Rahul Gandhi for his "chowkidar chor" remarks on the Rafale judgment, which the apex court had said were "incorrectly attributed" to it.

The top court said it will hear on April 30 the criminal contempt petition filed by BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi against Gandhi along with the pending review petition against the December 14, 2018 verdict in the Rafale jet deal.

The top court rejected the plea of Gandhi to close the criminal contempt petition filed by Lekhi.

On hearing senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi on behalf of Gandhi in the contempt petition "we deem it fit to issue notice to the respondent (Rahul) Gandhi," a bench headed by Chief Justcie Ranjan Gogoi said.

"We also direct the registry to list the review petition along with the contempt petition next Tuesday," the bench also comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna said.

At the outset the bench asked senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi appearing for Lekhi to apprise it about the content of the affidavit filed by Gandhi in which he had expressed regret over his remarks, which he claimed, were made in the "heat of political campaigning".

The bench sought to know from Rohatgi about content of the affidavit.

At this moment the CJI said, "We have not read the affidavit. Tell us what Rahul Gandhi has said."
Referring to the affidavit filed by Gandhi on Monday, the senior advocate said "The apology is in a bracket."
While Rohatgi was making the submission, the bench said, "We have seen what is there within the bracket. In the affidavit, Gandhi had used the word regret by putting bracket within it while giving explanation to the apex court."
The senior advocate said, "Though Gandhi is not saying now that Supreme Court had said chowkidar chor hai he is still continuing with the expression in his election campaigning."
While Singhvi was making submission, the bench said, "Perhaps notice was not issued on the criminal contempt petition filed by Lekhi."