BREAKING: Supreme Court Issues Contempt Notice To Sanjay Raut, Nikhil Wagle

The Supreme Court today has issued notice in the Criminal Contempt Petition filed by Supreme Court Bar Association against Journalist Nikhil Wagle and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut over their comments against the Chief Justice of India and for committing gross criminal contempt of the Supreme Court.

While issuing notice CJI Surya Kant observed today, "People don't understand that they are being trapped".

In response, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted, "I support SCBA, many of them understand. Attempt is there, but many of them don't succeed."

"Each one of them have come to court seeking rescue and if you still keep on condemning criticizing taking left and right, then let us see. Hope better sense will prevail. We have issued notice now," the CJI went on to observe.

Attorney General R Venkataramani had recently granted consent to initiate criminal contempt proceedings against the two under the Contempt of Courts Act.

The plea arises from a recent post made by Wagle on his X account @waglenikhil stating: “**** you CJI!”, in the context of a report concerning the Chief Justice of India declining a request to meet delegation of political parties led by Rahul Gandhi.

SCBA has further alleged that upon the Chief Justice of India denying to meet the delegation of the political parties, Raut deliberately and intentionally made scandalous statements and made false scandalous allegations against the CJI, which were carried by IANS on the platform “X” with an accompanying video, wherein Raut alleged that Judges attend political programmes of the ruling party and accept dinners hosted by Chief Ministers.

Raut is also stated to have referred to the photographs of Judges playing Badminton with political figures in London and imputed allegations against the CJI and other Judges.

Court has been told the statements are deliberate and intentional which are in fact false and contrary to records and were knowingly made to scandalise and diminish the authority of the Supreme Court.

Accordingly, a Criminal Contempt Petition has been instituted under Article 129 of the Constitution of India, read with Sections 2(c)(i), and 15(1)(b) of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, and Rule 3(c) of the Rules to Regulate Proceedings for Contempt of the Supreme Court, 1975, after the requisite written consent of the Learned Attorney General for India.

Notably, Chief Justice of India refused to meet with Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and other Opposition leaders and discuss their allegations concerning electoral irregularities.

In a letter, the CJI had said, "At the very outset, it may be noted that the issues referred to hereinabove are already sub judice before the Supreme Court of India. Therefore, convening a meeting to discuss pending cases would wholly contravene the principle of Separation of Powers, an intrinsic facet of the basic structure doctrine of the Constitution of India, and would be incompatible with the established ethics and judicial propriety."

CJI Kant had also reminded Gandhi and other that within our constitutional framework, the Supreme Court of India is not endowed with any administrative powers to deal with the issues highlighted by them.

What is the Badminton Game Controversy?

The All India Judges Badminton Championship was held at last year Thyagaraj Stadium, New Delhi. A token inaugural match was played by Justice Vikram Nath and two Union Ministers. In June 2026, the 2nd International Bar & Bench Badminton Championship, a private event, was held in London after which content was circulated on social media falsely claiming that the CJI, 60-70 Judges and Union Ministers played in it, using the photographs of 2025 event as proof.

Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact Check Unit had later clarifiedthat the viral photographs are from the November 2025 event in New Delhi and not from London. The Ministry of Law & Justice had also issued an official statement to the same effect.

Case Title: SUPREME COURT BAR ASSOCIATION Vs NIKHIL WAGLE

Bench: CJI Kant, Justice Bagchi

Hearing Date: October 16, 2026