SC Seeks Dasna Devi Temple Priest Yati Narsinghanand’s Response on Contempt Plea

GG News Bureau

New Delhi, 7th July. The Supreme Court on Friday asked for a reply from Ghaziabad’s Dasna Devi temple priest Yati Narsinghanand in response to a contempt plea filed against him last year for allegedly insulting remarks he made about the top court.

A bench of Justices AS Bopanna and MM Sundresh issued a notice to the priest, asking him to respond to a petition filed by activist Shachi Nelli.

During the brief hearing, senior lawyer Nitya Ramakrishnan informed the bench that they had received the consent of the then-attorney general KK Venugopal for the contempt petition against the alleged contemnor Narsinghnand from then-attorney general KK Venugopal.

On October 10, last year, the Supreme Court ordered the petitioner to provide a transcription of the contents of the video containing Narasinghnand’s utterances.

On January 22, 2022, Venugopal authorized Nelli’s plea for the initiation of contempt proceedings against the priest.

Before the Supreme Court hears a criminal contempt petition filed by a private individual, section 15 of the Contempt of Courts Act requires the Attorney General’s assent.

Nelli, in his plea, pointed out an alleged contemptuous statement made by Narasinghnand in an interview given to a Youtube channel which went viral on social media on January 14, 2022.

The statements were made in the interview conducted in context of the Haridwar hate speech case pending in the top court.

“The statement being so obviously contemptuous of this court, the petitioner, a social activist, wrote to the Attorney General for consent to initiate contempt against the alleged contemnor, who has granted the same”, the plea of Nelli said.

It added, “The alleged contemnor has a huge reach and influence and his statement has been spread far and wide by his followers and sympathisers, leading to widespread disaffection for this court, thereby undermining its authority and bringing its majesty into disrepute”.