GUWAHATI: The Supreme Court emphasized the gravity of comments undermining the judiciary, as demonstrated by a contempt notice issued to Assam legislator Karim Uddin Barbhuiya for a misleading Facebook post about his case.
The post inaccurately claimed a favorable ruling from the Supreme Court, while in reality, the verdict was pending.
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This misuse of social media to distort facts and interfere with court proceedings is concerning, with the bench expressing dismay at the growing trend.
While acknowledging the court’s ability to withstand criticism, the judges stressed that distorting facts under the guise of freedom of speech is unacceptable.
They highlighted the importance of not prejudicing proceedings or interfering with justice.
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The court underscored that even though open court arguments may sway, parties and their lawyers are not permitted to manipulate facts on social media.
Barbhuiya’s action was deemed a clear attempt to interfere with the court’s proceedings, warranting his personal appearance in court and involvement of the Attorney General of India.