SC slaps contempt notice on Army ex-chief

The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued contempt notice against former Army chief, Gen V K Singh, for allegedly criticising the apex court for not deciding his age row on the basis of matriculation certificate.

A bench of Justices R M Lodha and H L Gokhale also sought a response from an English  newspaper for publishing his statement “intended to lower or lowering the authority of the court.”

The apex court took suo motu cognisance of the news report, quoting Singh’s statement, published on September 22 to initiate contempt proceedings. The court referred to the news report in which General Singh was quoted by a news agency as having criticised the apex court.

“A controversy was created by attributing motives” through his statement which “scandalises or tends to scandalise the court,” the bench said, adding that it is criminal contempt of the court under the Contempt of Court Act, 1971.

 The court gave two weeks time to Singh and the news paper to respond to its notice.
 The bench urged Attorney General G E Vahanvati to assist the court and posted the matter for further hearing on October 23.

Giving the genesis, the bench pointed out how Gen Singh had filed a writ petition seeking direction to the Centre to treat his date of birth as May 10, 1951 instead of May 10, 1950, and decided to withdraw it after his counsel argued at length. The bench said that they had granted Singh permission for it and recorded his submission in the order on February 10, 2012.