Bengaluru: The top court has reserved its judgement on the Prashant Bhushan sentencing issue. 

Prashant Bhushan had made remarks on social media about Chief Justice of India Arvind S Bobde and four former Chief Justices of India. The court had taken offence to it and gave a chance for him to apologize. But a defiant Prashant Bhushan refused to heed to the court’s advice. 

Thoroughly disappointed at the way Prashant Bhushan behaved, justice Arun Mishra openly said that he was not happy with the way Bhushan behaved. He even added that he felt pained at the way Bhushan justified his behaviour and felt that it did not behove a lawyer who has been practising for 30 long years. 

The bench also took umbrage to the fact that Bhushan released his response to the media first before he submitted it to the court. 

Reports added that justice Mishra also highlighted that the convict Prashant Bhushan went to the extent of quoting Mahatma Gandhi but couldn’t bring himself to apologise for the disrespectful remarks he made against the Supreme Court and the Chief Justices.

Attorney general KK Venugopal pleaded before the court that it should forgive him. But the bench shot back, saying, “We expected something better than this. What can be done if he thinks he has done no wrong.”

It was again pleaded before the court that it should warn Prashant Bhushan and let him off. 

But again, Mishra did not concur with the idea. 

“How can they be taken off-the-record when Bhushan himself says they are his bonafide belief?”

There are all sorts of endeavours being made to defend Prashant Bhushan. But the court, in its judgement indicting the lawyer, clearly stated that it is open to fair criticism and it is not beyond being corrected. However, it added that there was a wanton effort on Prashant Bhushan’s part to lower the dignity of the court, which it is not happy with.