NEW DELHI: Supreme Court on Monday closed suo motu contempt proceedings initiated against YouTuber Ajay Shukla for his “defamatory” remarks against a former apex court judge after he tendered an unconditional apology.A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma decided to accept Shukla’s apology and end the proceedings against him but warned him against repeating the mistake in future. “Any recurrence of conduct or complaint would attract severe consequences,” the court said.Shukla had made scandalous allegations on YouTube channel ‘The Principle’ against Justice Bela M. Trivedi, a former SC judge, which made a bench headed by then Chief Justice of India B R Gavai initiate suo motu contempt proceedings on May 30 last year.”No doubt that the Constitution of India guarantees right to freedom of speech and expression; however, at the same time, such right is subject to reasonable restrictions. A person cannot be permitted to make allegations which are in the nature of defaming a Judge of this Court or any other Court and also which are contemptuous in nature, that attempt to bring disrepute to the institution of the Judiciary,” the court had said.
