SC notice to Arundhati Roy, Medha Patkar

By Our Legal Correspondent

NEW DELHI, FEB. 26. The Supreme Court today ordered notice to the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader Ms. Medha Patkar, the Booker Prize winner, Ms. Arundhati Roy and others for staging a demonstration outside the Apex Court gate on December 13 last and shouting slogans allegedly against the judgment in the Sardar Sarovar dam project case.

A Bench comprising Mr. Justice G.B. Pattanaik and Mr. Justice B.N. Aggrawal ordered notice to show cause why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against them, on a petition filed by a group of lawyers.

Describing the agitation by nearly 300 activists of the NBA as a blitzkrieg against the judiciary, these lawyers prayed for appropriate action against the demonstrators to save the dignity and integrity of the highest judicial institution in the country.

The petitioners, Mr. J.R. Parashar and four others alleged that on December 13 last there was a big crowd outside the Supreme Court led by Ms. Medha Patkar, Ms. Arundhati Roy and Mr. Prashant Bhushan, advocate and slogans were raised against the Chief Justice of India, Mr. A.S. Anand.

They contended that by indulging in demonstrations outside the court, the NBA leaders and activists had set a dangerous example for others to follow and mar the reputation of the Supreme Court and that the repercussions of this agitation would be deadly to the judiciary.

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Section  : National
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