In a relief for four journalists whom the Delhi High Court had held guilty of contempt in 2007 for articles in a tabloid about former Chief Justice of India Y K Sabharwal, the Supreme Court today set aside the verdict holding that it exceeded its jurisdiction in dealing with the contempt of a superior court.
A bench of Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justice A M Khanwilkar said the high court did not have the jurisdiction to pass such an order as it was not empowered to punish for the contempt of a superior court which itself was not invoking such power despite being vested with it.
The bench said the apex court itself was empowered under Article 129 of the Constitution to punish for its contempt and, if it did not invoke this power, there is no question of a court subordinate to it, like the high court, doing so.
