Ruckus during Madan Mitra's production not contempt of SC: Former CJI Altamas Kabir

KOLKATA: Former Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir today said the ruckus made by supporters of West Bengal minister Madan Mitra, arrested in connection with the Saradha scam, while he was being produced in a Alipore court was not a contempt of the Supreme Court.

"The Supreme Court has ordered a probe into the matter. Contempt of the apex court would have happened if a hindrance was caused to the investigation. But nothing of this sort has happened," Kabir told reporters on the sidelines of a book launch.

"They (Mitra's supporters) were only demonstrating, which they can do. You cannot stop demonstrations and it depends on the administration to decide how to stop it," the former CJI observed.

However, he said, ruckus inside a courtroom in general is surely a contempt of that court.

"This (demonstration) must not happen inside any court room. If this has happened, it's a contempt of the court," the former judge felt.

"Nobody can speak on this matter other than the Supreme Court because it has given the directive," he said.

Asked whether the CBI should go to the Supreme Court, he said anybody can go and it should be done immediately.

Supporters of Mitra, also a senior Trinamool Congress leader, demonstrated outside the Alipore court here on December 13 obstructing the police from taking him into the courtroom for production.

The CBI headquarter sought a report from its Kolkata office over the way Mitra's supporters demonstrated outside Alipore court, following which the police lodged an FIR against unknown persons.

The ex-CJI was speaking on the sidelines of launch of "An Undocumented Wonder" by former Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi, at a city hotel.