Supreme Court Upholds Limits on Social Media Criticism of Judicial Officers

The Supreme Court, in dismissing a plea challenging a Madhya Pradesh High Court order, emphasized that social media cannot be used to malign judicial officers. Justice Bela M Trivedi and Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra, sitting on a vacation bench, refused to interfere in the matter. Justice Trivedi stressed the importance of judicial independence, stating, “Independence of judiciary doesn’t just mean independence from the executive but also from outside forces.” The court highlighted the damage caused to the judicial officer’s image and noted that the imprisonment order should serve as a lesson. The petitioner’s counsel pleaded for leniency, citing personal liberty and the applicant’s time spent in jail. However, the court clarified that its role was to decide on the law and not show mercy, especially in such cases. The case involved Krishna Kumar Raghuvanshi, who faced a suo motu criminal contempt case for alleging corruption against a district judge. The reference against Raghuvanshi was based on his defiance of court orders in a temple-related dispute and the circulation of a letter maligning the court’s image through WhatsApp.