Prashant Bhushan, 63, a public interest lawyer, accused judges of giving in to the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Mr Bhushan posted a photo of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Sharad Arvind Bobde, posing with a motorcycle owned by the son of an official of the ruling right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party.

Counsel for Mr Bhushan, Rajeev Dhavan, told the court that his client was acting in defence of democracy. “This institution must take criticism, and not just criticism but extreme criticism,” he said.

The Supreme Court, however, disagreed and found him guilty of contempt. He was ordered to recant or face jail. He refused.

Mr Dhavan said: “Do not make Bhushan a martyr by punishing him.”