Contempt case against Kunal Kamra: SC says criticism growing, everybody doing it now
New Delhi: The Supreme Court Friday observed that criticism of courts is growing and everybody is now doing it now, while giving three weeks to cartoonist Rachit Taneja to file her reply on the plea seeking contempt action for her alleged scandalous tweets against the judiciary.
The top court also adjourned hearing for two weeks on separate pleas seeking contempt action against stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra, after the petitioners said that they have received reply of the artist.
A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, R S Reddy and M R Shah was informed by advocate Nishant Kanteshwarkar, appearing for some petitioners in Kamra's case, that the comedian's reply has been received and the matter be listed on non-miscellaneous day after two weeks.
The bench agreed to the submission and said it will take up the matter after two weeks.
During the hearing on a separate plea, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Taneja, said that he will file reply to petition against her.
The bench however said that criticism is growing on and everybody is doing it .
Rohatgi said that criticism of court can never be contempt and she is a young girl of 25-years of age. He said that there is a public perception as to why one case of a journalist was taken up for hearing during court's vacation.
The bench said, If you don't want to file reply, we will proceed. It's better if you file a reply .
Rohatgi submitted that he will file a reply and sought three weeks' time for it. The bench said it will list the matter after three weeks.
On December 18, the top court had issued show-cause notices to Kamra and Taneja for their alleged scandalous tweets against the apex court. The top court had sought their responses in in six weeks on the notices issued in two separate cases and had exempted them from personal appearances in the cases.
The top court had noted that Attorney General K K Venugopal has given his consent to initiate contempt proceedings against both the comic artists in separate cases.
Venugopal had granted consent for initiation of criminal contempt proceedings against Kamra, saying the comedian's tweets were in "bad taste" and it was time that people understand that attacking the apex court brazenly would attract punishment.
The attorney general had also given consent to initiate criminal contempt proceedings against Taneja, stating that the caricatures posted by her on social media were intended to denigrate the Supreme Court and lower its authority in the eyes of the public.
The consent of either the attorney general or the solicitor general is necessary under Section 15 of the Contempt of Courts Act for initiating contempt proceedings against a person.
Criminal contempt of the Supreme Court is punishable with a fine of up to Rs 2,000 and imprisonment of up to six months.
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Vartha Bharati–Sankalp predictions align closely with Karnataka bypoll results
Bengaluru: The Vartha Bharati–Sankalp election analysis has shown a high level of accuracy in predicting the outcome of the recent Karnataka Assembly by-elections held in May 2026, correctly calling winners in both constituencies and closely estimating vote share trends.
The by-elections were held in Bagalkot and Davanagere South, drawing significant political attention as both seats were seen as key tests for the ruling Congress and opposition BJP.
According to the analysis, Vartha Bharati–Sankalp had made three major projections ahead of the results the winning party, vote share percentages, and margin of victory.
In both constituencies, the platform accurately predicted that the Congress would emerge victorious. The outcome matched the projections, with Congress candidates winning in Bagalkot and Davanagere South.
In terms of vote share, the predictions were largely in line with the final results. In Bagalkot, the BJP’s vote share was forecast in the range of 40 to 46 per cent, while the actual figure stood at 42.9 per cent. The Congress vote share, however, exceeded expectations, with the party securing 55.4 per cent against a projected range of 43 to 48 per cent.
The margin of victory in Bagalkot turned out to be significantly higher than anticipated. While the projection had placed the margin between 2,000 and 3,500 votes, the final margin was around 22,332 votes.
In Davanagere South, the predictions also remained largely accurate. The Congress vote share was projected between 43 and 51 per cent, and the final figure stood at 43.9 per cent. The BJP was expected to secure between 42 and 50 per cent but ended with 40.3 per cent.
The analysis had also identified the role of SDPI as a potential spoiler in the constituency. While its vote share was estimated around 6 per cent, the party eventually secured around 12 per cent of the vote.
The margin of victory in Davanagere South was predicted to be between 1,500 and 2,600 votes. The actual margin was higher at around 5,708 votes, though the contest remained relatively close as anticipated.
Overall, the performance of Vartha Bharati–Sankalp stood out for correctly identifying the winning parties in both seats and maintaining close accuracy in vote share estimates, with only limited deviations in specific cases.
