The Supreme Court on Tuesday closed a 2009 contempt of court case against advocate Prashant Bhushan and former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal in view of their apologies to the court.
The case against Bhushan and Tejpal had been filed by senior advocate Harish Salve in connection with an interview published in Tehelka magazine, in which Bhushan made allegations of corruption in the judiciary.
Bhushan, in his statement to the Court, said he had “no intention to lower the prestige of the judiciary in which I have complete faith”.
“In my interview to Tehelka in 2009, I have used the word corruption in a wide sense meaning lack of propriety. I did not mean only financial corruption or deriving any pecuniary advantage. If what I have said caused hurt to any of them or to their families in any way, I regret the same.
I unreservedly state that I support the institution of the judiciary and especially the Supreme Court of which I am a part, and had no intention to lower the prestige of the judiciary in which I have complete faith. …I regret if my interview was misunderstood as doing so…” he said.
On Tuesday, a bench of Justices Indira Banerjee, Surya Kant and M M Sundresh observed, “In view of the apologies made by the contemnors, we don’t deem it necessary to continue the matter.”
