New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday issued a contempt notice to Ajay Shukla, a digital channel editor, and YouTube for airing “scandalous, defamatory and contemptuous allegations” against a senior woman judge of the court and directed the withdrawal of the material from the platform.

A bench of Chief Justice B.R. Gavai, Justice Augustine George and Justice A.S. Chandurkar passed the direction while taking suo motu cognisance of the controversial material aired by Chandigarh-based Shukla, the editor-in-chief of Varprad Media Pvt Ltd, through his YouTube channel.

The bench said that though the fundamental rights of free speech and expression were available to every citizen, it was “subject to reasonable restrictions”.

Though the court expressly refrained from identifying the judge or the specific contemptuous remarks, it is understood that it related to a woman judge whom the journalist had criticised for being “pro-government”.

While seeking the assistance of attorney-general R. Venkataramani and solicitor-general Tushar Mehta in the case, the bench posted the matter for further hearing on July 18.