Overview

• A bench led by Chief Justice B. R. Gavai permitted petitioner Aatmadeep to withdraw the case after being told the Attorney General refused consent.
• Attorney General R. Venkataramani’s nod is a statutory prerequisite for initiating criminal contempt in the Supreme Court.
• The charitable trust had alleged the chief minister’s remarks undermined judicial authority following the court’s decision on SLST-2016 appointments.
• At an earlier hearing, the bench cautioned against turning legal proceedings into political battles and deferred the matter pending the AG’s decision.
• The April 3 judgment quashing over 25,000 SLST-2016 appointments, based on CBI and R. K. Bag Committee findings of pervasive irregularities, remains in force.