Sanjay Raut, Nikhil Wagle face Supreme Court contempt notices over CJI remarks

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday issued contempt notices to Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut and journalist Nikhil Wagle over their remarks against Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and the judiciary, reported Bar and Bench.

A bench led by CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi issued show-cause notices on a contempt plea filed by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA). The court exempted both from personal appearance for the time being.

“We are giving a show cause … as of now we are granting exemption for personal appearance. Let us see,” the Chief Justice said.

The notices were issued after Attorney General R. Venkataramani granted consent for initiating criminal contempt proceedings against Raut and Wagle on the SCBA’s request over their comments concerning the CJI and the judiciary.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court had asked Raut to explain his remarks against the judiciary after the Chief Justice declined to meet opposition leaders.

“In W.P. (C) No. 1351/2026 (Item 25), the petition on behalf of Petitioner No. 6 is entertained on a provisional basis, subject to his explaining his conduct,” the bench had said in its order.

Raut had alleged that 80 Supreme Court and High Court judges were seen playing badminton with political leaders in London. He also claimed that judges freely attended political programmes of the Bharatiya Janata Party and that its chief ministers hosted dinners to welcome them.

“You can meet them, play with them, have dinner or lunch with them, with Chief Ministers. You can suddenly resign to join a political party. You don’t care for principles and law then but when we want to meet you to save democracy…you say we will not meet political leaders,” Raut had said.

Journalist Nikhil Wagle had posted an abusive remark against the CJI on X in response to a report by The Hindu on the Chief Justice’s decision.

He later deleted the post and apologised for his comment.

The contempt proceedings come amid a separate case in which the Supreme Court is hearing petitions filed by Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders challenging the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision exercise.