New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday directed former IPL chairman Lalit Modi to tender an unconditional apology on social media platforms and national newspapers for his remarks against the judiciary. A bench of Justices MR Shah and CT Ravikumar slammed Modi for his remarks and warned him that any repeat of such conduct will be viewed ‘very seriously’.
The bench observed that Modi is not above the law and the institution and also directed him to file an affidavit before it tenders an apology. The affidavit has to state that no such posts on social media will be made in future which would be tantamount, even remotely, to tarnishing the image of the Indian judiciary, the apex court said. While posting the matter for hearing on April 24, the bench said that it has gone through the counter affidavit filed by Modi and it was not at all satisfied with the explanation given.
Senior advocate CU Singh had filed the contempt plea against Modi saying he made a tweet on March 30, 2023 which tarnished the image of judiciary and made scandalous remarks against judges. Earlier, the apex court while hearing an application in connection with remarks made by Modi against senior advocate and former Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi had orally observed that lawyers should not be involved in a family outburst.
It had orally instructed Lalit Modi’s counsel senior advocate Harish Salve to use his ‘good office’ and advise his client to take ‘remedial measures’.
Salve had told the bench that the post made against Rohatgi has been taken down. Lalit Modi had made some comments on the Instagram post about Rohatgi. Later, through another post, he reportedly apologised to the senior advocate. Former Attorney General and senior advocate Rohatgi is one of the counsels representing Bina Modi, mother of Lalit Modi, in the vexatious property dispute.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Bina Modi, had submitted that there was an undertaking that there would be no posts while mediation was going on. On January 19, the apex court agreed to examine a plea alleging former IPL chairman Lalit Modi made some ‘scurrilous’ remarks in a social media post against Rohatgi and the judiciary. In August 2022, the apex court-appointed former top court judge Justice RV Raveendran as a mediator to settle the family property dispute involving the former IPL head and his mother Bina Modi, wife of late industrialist KK Modi.
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