Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Monday broke his silence on the recent courtroom disruption in which a litigant allegedly used derogatory language against him and threw documents inside the Supreme Court, stating that preserving the dignity and sanctity of constitutional institutions is a collective constitutional responsibility.
Speaking at a felicitation ceremony organised by the All India Senior Advocates Association (AISAA), the Chief Justice downplayed the incident and said that youngsters sometimes behave in such a manner, but stressed that every citizen has a duty to uphold the dignity, honour and institutional credibility of constitutional bodies. He emphasised that maintaining the prestige of constitutional institutions is the shared responsibility of all stakeholders.
The remarks were the CJI’s first public response to the incident that occurred on July 10 inside Courtroom No. 13 of the Supreme Court.
The disruption took place during the hearing of a matter before a Bench of Justice KV Viswanathan and Justice Alok Aradhe. The petitioner-in-person, identified as Prabal Pratap from Lucknow, allegedly addressed the Bench in an inappropriate manner while seeking directions for registration of an FIR against an Assistant Commissioner of Police in Lucknow and a private company, Duplex Technologies Services Limited. During the proceedings, he also alleged that the company was operating a nationwide cybercrime syndicate.
After concluding his submissions, the petitioner allegedly threw a bundle of documents into the air and used abusive and derogatory language against the Chief Justice of India. Security personnel stationed inside the courtroom immediately intervened, escorted him out of the courtroom and detained him.
The Supreme Court subsequently noted that the petitioner’s conduct appeared to be incoherent and decided not to initiate further proceedings against him, following which he was allowed to leave.
Addressing the AISAA event, the Chief Justice also announced significant administrative measures aimed at reducing judicial backlog. He said the new roster constituted four special Benches dedicated to hearing some of the oldest pending matters before the apex court. According to him, two Benches have been assigned to hear long-pending civil cases, while two others will exclusively deal with old criminal matters as part of the Court’s efforts to expedite disposal of arrears and improve judicial efficiency.
Justice Surya Kant also explained the process of appointments to the Supreme Court, stating that the Collegium evaluates multiple constitutional and institutional considerations, including judicial merit, integrity, experience, competence, regional representation and diversity among High Courts before recommending judges for elevation. He said these considerations ensure that the composition of the Supreme Court reflects the constitutional ethos and diversity of the country.
The Chief Justice was addressing a felicitation ceremony organised to honour newly elevated Supreme Court judges Justice Sheel Nagu, Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, Justice Arun Palli and Justice V. Mohana. Recently retired Supreme Court judges Justice JK Maheshwari and Justice Pankaj Mithal were also felicitated at the event.
Welcoming the gathering, Senior Advocate Adish C. Aggarwala, Secretary General of the All India Senior Advocates Association and former President of the Supreme Court Bar Association, described Justice Surya Kant’s journey from the district judiciary at Hisar to the office of the Chief Justice of India as one marked by merit, discipline and perseverance. He also highlighted the CJI’s encouragement of young members of the Bar and said his approach had strengthened the relationship between the Bench and the Bar while promoting confidence among young advocates.
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