'I Don't Bother,' Says Justice Markandey Katju, On Contempt Notice By Supreme Court

New Delhi: Inside a courtroom where he passed judgements, former judge Markandey Katju was on Friday pulled up for contempt over a blog criticising Supreme Court judges. "I don't bother," he declared before storming out.

Justice Katju was issued a contempt notice for blogs that the court said are "a serious assault on judges, not on judgements."

When the outspoken former judge said he didn't bother, the court said: "Please escort Justice Katju outside."

Furious, Justice Katju lashed out: "This is not the way to treat me. I came here to assist you. Don't behave like this. Is this the way to treat a former Supreme Court judge? I am sorry."

As he walked out of the courtroom, the judges said: "We are also sorry."

Justice Katju was asked to appear in court to explain a Facebook post in which he had commented that that the top court had seriously "erred in law" by reducing the sentence of the convict in the 2011 rape and murder of 23-year-old Soumya in Kerala.

Soumya was attacked on a local train by Govindachamy, who grabbed her by the hair and hit her head repeatedly against the wall of the coach. After she was thrown off the moving train, he jumped after her, hit her with a stone and raped her in her wounded state. She died five days after the savage attack.

Last month, the Supreme Court said Govindachamy, who was sentenced to death by lower courts, will not hang as there was no evidence that he had murdered Soumya. The convict's sentence was reduced to 14 years in jail, which caused outrage in Kerala and devastated Soumya's family.

The court today rejected the Kerala government and Soumya's mother's request to review that verdict.

Justce Katju had said in his Facebook post: "I submit that the Supreme Court has erred in law in not holding the accused guilty of murder, and its judgement needs to be reviewed to this extent."

Defending his post today, he said: "Judges must use their common sense."