<p>The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to consider a plea by advocate Prashant Bhushan to defer hearing on sentence in a contempt proceeding until his review petition against conviction is filed and heard by another top court bench.</p>.<p>A three-judge bench presided over by Justice Arun Mishra said that the judgement would be complete only after the pronouncement of sentence.</p>.<p>"In the event, we impose any punishment, we assure you that it will not be activated until the review is decided," the bench told senior advocate Dushyant Dave, appearing for Bhushan.</p>.<p>"We will be fair to you, whether or not you are fair to us," Justice Mishra told Dave, who said heavens are not going to fall if the court deferred the hearing till the review is decided. </p>.<p>It is not necessary that this very bench should consider the sentence, he added.</p>.<p>The bench, also comprising Justices B R Gavai and Krishna Murari, said that there should not be an impression that there is an effort to avoid the bench. "Why the bench should give the impression that this bench wants to decide everything before Justice Arun Misra retires," Dave retorted.</p>.<p>He said the matter of punishment should be considered by a different bench. On this, the bench said that this request cannot be accepted.</p>.<p>"It is never done like that. It is not appropriate. It is against the established procedure and norms. Suppose if I am not emitting office, can it be ever thought of," Justice Mishra said.</p>.<p>The bench again assured the counsel the court would not do anything to defeat Bhushan's right of review. "We are not proposing to defer the sentence hearing," the bench said.</p>.<p>Attorney General K K Venugopal submitted that a similar request made in the contempt case of Vijay Kurle was rejected.</p>.<p>The top court had on August 14 convicted Bhushan of Suo Motu criminal contempt for "false, malicious and scurrilous" tweets made on "distorted facts", to scandalise the entire institution of judiciary.</p>
<p>The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to consider a plea by advocate Prashant Bhushan to defer hearing on sentence in a contempt proceeding until his review petition against conviction is filed and heard by another top court bench.</p>.<p>A three-judge bench presided over by Justice Arun Mishra said that the judgement would be complete only after the pronouncement of sentence.</p>.<p>"In the event, we impose any punishment, we assure you that it will not be activated until the review is decided," the bench told senior advocate Dushyant Dave, appearing for Bhushan.</p>.<p>"We will be fair to you, whether or not you are fair to us," Justice Mishra told Dave, who said heavens are not going to fall if the court deferred the hearing till the review is decided. </p>.<p>It is not necessary that this very bench should consider the sentence, he added.</p>.<p>The bench, also comprising Justices B R Gavai and Krishna Murari, said that there should not be an impression that there is an effort to avoid the bench. "Why the bench should give the impression that this bench wants to decide everything before Justice Arun Misra retires," Dave retorted.</p>.<p>He said the matter of punishment should be considered by a different bench. On this, the bench said that this request cannot be accepted.</p>.<p>"It is never done like that. It is not appropriate. It is against the established procedure and norms. Suppose if I am not emitting office, can it be ever thought of," Justice Mishra said.</p>.<p>The bench again assured the counsel the court would not do anything to defeat Bhushan's right of review. "We are not proposing to defer the sentence hearing," the bench said.</p>.<p>Attorney General K K Venugopal submitted that a similar request made in the contempt case of Vijay Kurle was rejected.</p>.<p>The top court had on August 14 convicted Bhushan of Suo Motu criminal contempt for "false, malicious and scurrilous" tweets made on "distorted facts", to scandalise the entire institution of judiciary.</p>
