SC Suspends YouTuber's Jail Term in Contempt Case Over Anti-Judiciary Videos
Supreme Court suspends six-month contempt sentence of YouTuber Gulshan Pahuja, granting interim bail while his appeal is heard.
The Supreme Court on Thursday granted interim relief to advocate and YouTuber Gulshan Pahuja, suspending the six-month imprisonment imposed on him by the Delhi High Court in a criminal contempt case. A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Sheel Nagu ordered his release on interim bail while agreeing to examine his appeal against the conviction.
The bench reportedly cautioned that the interim protection could be revoked if Pahuja repeats the conduct that led to his conviction. The court has issued notice on the appeal and the bail plea, scheduling the next hearing for the week commencing October 5.
Pahuja, who runs the YouTube channel 'Fight 4 Judicial Reforms', was held guilty in May for posting videos that the High Court said contained derogatory remarks against judicial officers and the judiciary as an institution. The case originated from a reference by a civil judge in Shahdara court regarding the contentious content on his channel.
During the sentencing hearing, the High Court observed that Pahuja showed no regret and instead compounded the contempt with further scandalous submissions. He reportedly likened judicial arbitrariness to dictatorship and stated he expected no justice from Indian courts. The High Court noted that leniency could embolden him to repeat such acts.
Pahuja had maintained his conduct was bonafide and aimed at judicial reform, arguing he should not be barred from criticising judges. The High Court had earlier suspended the sentence for 60 days to allow him to approach the Supreme Court.