Why the case against Vijay Kumar & Kantipur is not about the dress code & is about intimidation of media

THT: A contempt of court charge has been registered at the Supreme Court (SC) against columnist Bijaya Kumar Pandey, editor-in-chief Sudhir Sharma and Managing Director Kailash Sirohiya of Kantipur Daily on Monday alleging that an article written by Pandey that was published in the daily made mockery of the SC.

Advocate Anjan Kumar Pokhrel registered the petition at the SC claiming that the recent article of Pandey tried to scandalise the independent judiciary. Advocate Pokhrel, in his writ has accused Pandey of contempt of court for his comments on the judiciary and judges regarding the recent disputes on dress code at the SC. Earlier, a week ago a Kantipur correspondent was barred to visit the courtrooms citing his informal dress. The advocate has demanded one year imprisonment and Rs 10,000 fines from the defendants in his writ.

Vijay Kumar’s article titled “pad ra pahichan bichko antar” was published on the Saturday issue of Kantipur where he writes a fortnightly column called “aadi/ityadi”. In the article Vijay Kumar states: Known and unknown judges including Biswonathji [former Chief Justice], once seated in their chairs of justices, would see nothing but justice. These days, I hear, some judges see nothing but t-shirts with prints and t-shirts without prints.

We believe this write against the journalist is absolutely unnecessary. The Supreme Court shouldn’t have accepted the writ in the first place. This we think is a ploy to intimidate the media world, especially those who are critical of the recent acts of the Supreme Court and some of its justices after the Chief Justice was made to head the government blatantly crushing the concept of separation of power. Continue reading The Vijay Kumar Article: पद र पहिचानबीचको महान् अन्तर →