The Supreme Court of India has initiated suo motu criminal contempt proceedings against Chandigarh-based journalist and YouTuber Ajay Shukla for making allegedly scandalous remarks against a sitting judge. The case, titled IN RE: SCANDALOUS REMARKS MADE BY MR. AJAY SHUKLA, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, VARPRAD MEDIA PVT. LTD., A DIGITAL CHANNEL, is scheduled to be heard on Friday.
The matter has been listed before a three-judge Bench comprising Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, Justice Augustine George Masih, and a third judge who is yet to be nominated.
This is the first instance in 2025 where the Supreme Court has initiated a suo motu criminal contempt case. While the specific remarks that triggered the contempt action have not been officially disclosed by the Court, reports indicate that scrutiny of Shukla’s YouTube channel, Varprad Media Pvt. Ltd., revealed a recent video concerning the retirement of Justice Bela M. Trivedi.
The video in question allegedly referred to Justice Trivedi as a “Godi judge,” a politically loaded term often used to describe individuals perceived to be aligned with or favorable to the Central government. Such language, particularly when directed at a sitting or recently retired judge, may be viewed by the judiciary as scandalizing the court and potentially undermining public confidence in the judicial system.
Under Article 129 of the Constitution, the Supreme Court is vested with the power to punish for contempt of itself. The Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 defines criminal contempt as any act which scandalizes or tends to scandalize, or lowers or tends to lower the authority of any court.
