Rahul Gandhi contempt petition: Supreme Court reserves order

The Supreme Court on Friday reserved orders on the contempt petition against Congress president Rahul Gandhi even as BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi urged the Court to teach him a lesson for playing around with the SC.

Gandhi's comment came on April 10 in response to an order by the SC allowing the review petitioners in the Rafale case to rely on classified documents.

Gandhi had filed an unconditional apology in the Court accepting that by attributing the words 'Chowkidar Chor hai' to the Court, he made a mistake.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi stated that he has agreed to apologise after being "cornered" by the Court.

Referring to the two affidavits filed by him in the past, Rohatgi said he had no remorse as the word regret appeared in paranthesis. He argued that the Congress leader made a wrong statement and by saying that the Court had declared the Prime Minister of the country to be 'chor' (thief) he led the public astray, as people hold courts in high esteem. For this he owed a public apology and for playing with the Court, he must be censured or sentenced to jail for a simple term.

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi refused to accept that he had late contrition and submitted that in his earlier affidavit he agreed he made a mistake and had offered regret. Since Court did not accept the terminology, it was decided to file a fresh affidavit mentioning the word apology. He urged the Court to accept his apology and close the contempt case against him.