The Supreme Court on Wednesday initiated contempt proceedings against the person claiming to be a lawyer who attacked Sahara Group chairman Subrata Roy with ink on the Supreme Court premises on Tuesday.
“The incident prima facie discloses obstruction in administration of justice which amounts to criminal contempt under Section 2(c) of Contempt of courts Act 1971,” said a Bench headed by Justice RM lodha, taking suo moto cognizance of the incident.
Earlier in the day, the court called for Attorney General GE Vahanvati to assist them in the matter. Minutes before the court was to get up, Vahanvati appeared in court and produced a compilation of the news reports and a brief summary of the incident.
The court issued notice to the lawyer in question, Manoj Sharma, who hailed from Gwalior. the AG informed the SC that reports suggested he hurled a shoe earlier at Congress leader Suresh Kalmadi and even got a death certificate issued in the name of former PM Atal Behari Vajpayee to expose corruption.
“There is nothing to show his mental illness,” the AG replied to a query put by the Bench. The Bench issued notice to Sharma and asked him to appear on March 24.