"Bacchey Aise Kar Dete Hein": CJI Surya Kant Downplays Courtroom Abuse Incident

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has broken his silence on the courtroom uproar in which a petitioner allegedly hurled documents into the air and used derogatory language against him, choosing to downplay the episode even as he stressed the need to safeguard the dignity of constitutional institutions.

Reacting informally to the incident at an event organised by All India Senior Advocates Association, the CJI said young litigants sometimes behave this way, but reminded everyone that protecting the honour of the country's constitutional bodies remains a shared responsibility. "Arey rahne do... Bacchey aise kayi bar kar dete hein lekin mei yeh kehna chahta hu ki hamein constitutional institutions ki maryada maan sammaan banaye rakhna chahiye ye hum sabka daitwa hein sabko isko nibhana hein," CJI Surya Kant said, asking that the matter be let go while urging collective responsibility toward institutional dignity.

Background of The Case

The disruption had unfolded before a Bench of Justice K.V. Viswanathan and Justice Alok Aradhe, which was hearing a petition filed by Prabal Pratap, contesting an Allahabad High Court order. That order had refused to interfere with a trial court's decision directing that his application under Section 173(4) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita be treated as a private complaint rather than resulting in an FIR.

At the outset, the petitioner identified himself before the Bench and, instead of making legal submissions, declared, "Mr. Judicial Servant, I order you to order the registration of FIR against ACP Vikas Nagar, Lucknow, and Duplex Technology... because I am the sovereign."

The Bench immediately questioned the petitioner, asking, "You are ordering?" and "You are ordering us?"

The petitioner continued his submissions before suddenly throwing a bundle of papers towards the Bench, scattering documents across the courtroom. Security personnel immediately intervened and restrained him as he shouted an abusive remark directed at the Chief Justice of India.

Despite the incident, the Bench declined to initiate any coercive or contempt proceedings. Pronouncing the order, Justice K.V. Viswanathan observed: "We do not propose to take any action against him. As far as the merits of the case are concerned, we have perused the records. We find no good grounds to interfere with the impugned order. The Special Leave Petition is dismissed."

The episode has since drawn a wider response from the legal fraternity. The Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCAORA), in a statement from its Executive Committee, welcomed the restraint shown by the Bench but cautioned that judicial patience must never be mistaken for weakness, warning that attempts to misuse court proceedings for publicity or to pressure judges amount to a serious abuse of process.

It also urged authorities to act to protect the dignity of the institution and appealed to the public to refrain from circulating videos of the incident, saying such circulation only sensationalises judicial proceedings. The Supreme Court Bar Association separately termed the conduct unacceptable and sought government guidelines on recording and sharing courtroom videos, while the Supreme Court Arguing Counsel Association (SCACA) wrote to the CJI seeking stringent action against those it accused of conspiring to undermine the judiciary through selective circulation of clips and defamatory commentary online.

Inputs from News18