See if you are ready to apologize, Delhi HC to S Gurumurthy in contempt case

The Delhi High Court Court yesterday stated that it would close the contempt proceedings pending against S Gurumurthy and others if they are ready to apologize..The Court was hearing the contempt case filed against S Gurumurthy and others in relation to a scandalous publication referring to sitting High Court judge Justice S Muralidhar after he passed an order in favour of Gautam Navlakha..The Court had initiated suo motu contempt proceedings against Gurumurthy and others in relation to a blog called ‘Drishtikone’, titled ‘Why has Delhi High Court Justice Muralidhar’s relationship with Gautam Navlakha not been disclosed?’. The article had alleged that the fact that Navlakha and Justice Muralidhar’s wife were close friends resulted in a favourable order by the judge..The Court’s statement came after the author of the article, the owner of the portal carrying the article, and a Twitter user tendered their apologies to the Court..All such persons, except the author of the article, were thus deleted as parties..A Division Bench of Justices Manmohan and Sangita Dhingra Sehgal then suggested that S Gurumurthy consider tendering an apology..Appearing for Gurumurthy, Senior Advocate Mahesh Jethmalani urged the Court to close the case against him, as he had merely re-tweeted the article..“I am only a re-tweeter. I only pointed out that such a link exists. I did not endorse (the article).”.The Court, however, refused to accept this contention and remarked,.“You are a wise person..in public life.. You claimed that you conducted a survey online, you are an editor with 30 years of experience…”.The Court also referred to Gurumurthy’s affidavit filed in response to the contempt petition and added,.“Your presumption is ‘someone’s wife is someone’s chattel’! You are treating them like a Hindu Undivided Family. What the wife does, the husband does in Court…The wife has an independent personality…”.It further added,.“We must understand the consequences of scandalizing the Court…to impugn motive to the Court is wrong.”.Stating that even the author of the article has tendered an apology, the Court asked Jethmalani,.“See if you (Gurumurthy) are ready to apologize.”.The Court also asked Gurumurthy to consider the assertions in his affidavit suggesting that the relationship between Justice Muralidhar’s wife and Navlakha should have been disclosed by the judge..The Court thus adjourned the matter till August 6 and asked Jethmalani to seek instructions..Gurumurthy is also facing contempt proceedings initiated by the Delhi High Court Bar Association for his tweet pertaining to Justice Muralidhar’s order granting relief to Karti Chidambaram. Gurumurthy had asked, through his tweets, if Justice Muralidhar had been a junior to Karti Chidambaram’s father, Senior Advocate P Chidambaram..Gurumurthy is being represented by Senior Advocate Mahesh Jethmalani with Advocates Ravi Sharma and Mohit Mudgal..Read the Order: