We write to you in reference to the recent judgment of #TarunTejpal case. The Women Activists across the country used every tool from the “book of naming & shaming” to run smear campaigns against the Accused, many violating the court orders of no media reporting. That was all through the trial period. But once the Judgment is out and the accused was found “not guilty”, the same women activists have now directed their abusive verbal firing against the presiding judicial officer herself. Many Women Activists & Journalists have termed the individual judge as regressive mindset & questioning her credibility. It is pertinent to mention that while a judgment can always be appealed against legally and there are proper guidelines from the Hon’ble Supreme Court on what amounts of questioning a judgment as a “freedom of speech” and what amounts as “contempt of court”, these Women Activists & Journalists are just not abusing the judgment, but the Judge herself now. Does this amount to offence in India? Will the Hon’ble Supreme Court step-in to save the term “Hon’ble” for Judges?
