Katju offers apology to SC for criticising judges in a case
Former Supreme Court Judge Markandey Katju on Friday offered an unconditional apology to the SC in a contempt of court case for allegedly criticising the court judges for their verdict in Soumya rape and murder case. In his personal blog, Katju had described the court's judgment, setting aside the death penalty of the convict, in the case as "legally flawed".
Former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju on Friday offered unconditional apology to Jusitice Ranjan Gogoi in connection with the Soumya rape case.An apex court bench of justices Gogoi, Prafulla C Pant and Uday Umesh Lalit had issued a show cause notice to Justice Katju asking him "why contempt proceedings should not be drawn up" him.Writing in his blog, Justice Katju had criticised the Supreme Court judges saying that they committed an error in judgement in dispensing the case.READ| SC summons Justice Katju over his blog on Soumya verdictTHE SOUMYA CASESoumya was an employee at a mall in Kochi, Kerala. She was died on February 6, 2011 at a hospital in Thrissur. Soumya had suffered fatal injuries after a fall from a moving train on February 1, 2011.The prosecution said that the incident took place when Soumya was travelling in women's coach on the Ernakulam-Shoranpur passenger train. It claimed that Govindachamy, the accused, attacked and pushed Soumya off the moving train.According to the prosecution, Govindachamy also jumped off the train and took an injured Soumya to a nearby forest and raped her.Soumya succumbed to her injuries five days later at a hospital.READ| Katju issued contempt notice after heated exchange with Supreme Court judgeTHE SUPREME COURT JUDGEMENTThe case moved from Kerala courts to the Supreme Court in due process. In the final judgement, the apex court bench found the accused Govindachamy guilty of assault and rape. He was sentenced to life imprisonment.But, the Supreme Court acquitted him of the charges of murder.Justice Katju criticised the judgement in his blog. WATCH: