[Kunal Kamra Contempt] "Become Fashion To Exceed Restricted Right Under Article 19(1)": Law Student Files Rejoinder To Kamra's Reply

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After Comedian Kunal Kamra who is facing criminal contempt charges before Top Court for his tweets against Judges and the Judiciary filed his reply, one of the petitioner(s), a 22 year old law student Shrirang Katneshwarkar has filed his rejoinder to it.

The law student has called for maximum punishment to be metted out to Kamra so as to set an example and dissuade people from repeating the alleged contemptous acts.

While Kamra had argued that his tweets were merely "funny" and that Humour attempts to blunt the grimness of a situation (thus his tweets) the petitioner has alleged that the tweets were nothing but outrightly obnoxious. 

"Any ordinary prudent man can gather from the tweets that the tweets were obnoxious. The contempt petitioners who are responsible and law abiding citizens of the country have rightly filed the present criminal contempt proceedings to prosecute and punish the alleged contemnor"
- the Rejoinder reads

The petitioner has contended that Kamra's tweets were in fact scandalous and not "jokes" as incorrectly claimed by him.

"Probably the alleged contemnor has forgotten in his hubris as a comedian that a joke is a thing that someone says to cause amusement or laughter, especially a story with a funny punchline. When the alleged contemnor understands that jokes are not reality then there was no need for the alleged contemnor to publish the scandalous tweets and thereafter undermine dignity of this Hon'ble Court from the minds of people at large and further to shake confidence which the common people have about the justice delivery system," the petitioner has argued.

The petitioner further calls out Kamra as being a "keyboard warrior", stating that since he has a follower count of over 1.7 million on twitter, his tweets can create poisonous ideas in the minds of people which may create a deadly chain reaction.

"One cannot deny that the keyboard warriors like the alleged contemnor has no business to suggest that the public's faith in the judiciary is founded on the institutions own action," Katneshwarkar has averred.

Next, the petitioner states that Kamra has attempted to flummox about the terms satire and comedy and that his tweets were scandalous and neither satire nor comedy. It is further stated that certain statements of Kamra show his egotism which and scornful attitude who appears to be open for vilification of the Court in other matters.

It is stated that it has indeed become a fashion of the day to exceed the restricted right guaranteed by the Constitution under Article 19(1).

"From the conduct of the alleged contemnor it appears that the alleged contemnor believes in getting, 'defamed' because it includes 'fame'. To dissuade the alleged contemnor and like minded persons from repeating the acts of criminal contempt it is necessary to punish the alleged contemnor with maximum punishment."