Earlier this month, Usha Shetty from Karnataka had filed a petition against Bollywood actress Swara Bhasker, seeking initiation of criminal contempt proceedings for her comments criticizing the Supreme Court's verdict on the Ayodhya dispute. However, Attorney General KK Venugopal has rejected the petition saying that the comments referred to the Judgement of Supreme Court, were not an attack on the institution.
Earlier this year, Swara Bhasker was present at the 'Artists against Communalism' panel discussion in Mumbai, and talked about the apex court's verdict in the disputed land case. She went on to say, "We are now in a situation where our courts are not sure whether they believe in the Constitution or not...We are living in a country where the Supreme Court of our country states in a judgement that the demolition of Babri Masjid was unlawful and in the same judgment rewards the same people who brought down the mosque." (sic) Expressing concern over her statement, Usha Shetty in the petition stated, "It is not merely a cheap stunt for publicity but a deliberate attempt to incite masses to resist and revolt against the apex court. The statement intends to incite a feeling of no confidence amongst the public with respect to the proceedings of the Supreme Court. It amounts to criminal contempt." According to a report in Live Laws, the Attorney General rejected the plea stating its a vague statement not related to any court. "The comments refers to the Judgement of Supreme Court and is not an attack on the institution. This does not offer any comment on the Supreme Court itself or say anything that would scandalise or lower the authority of the Supreme Court. The 2nd Statement is a vague statement not related to any particular Court and something which is so general that no one would take any serious note of this statement. I therefore decline consent to initiate contempt proceedings against Ms. Swara Bhaskar," stated the Attorney General. On November 9, 2019, a five-judge bench of Supreme Court, led by the then CJI Ranjan Gogoi had ruled a unanimous judgement that the 2.77-acre disputed land parcel had been occupied in the 16th century to build the mosque razed in 1992. The disputed land was awarded to the deity Ram Lalla, one of the three litigants in the case. Usha hetty's Petition
Attorney General's Rejection Statement
SC Awarded The Disputed Land To The Deity Ram Lalla In 2019