The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to entertain a petition filed by a group of lawyers who were allegedly assaulted last month while protesting against Bar Council of India (BCI) Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana asked the petitioners, who were seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the incident, to approach the Delhi High Court.
During the hearing, Justice Bagchi observed that lawyers should ordinarily not resort to protests, describing the legal profession as a disciplined community with established mechanisms for redressal of grievances. The judge added that while ordinary citizens have the right to take to the streets, lawyers, as officers of the Court, are bound by certain standards of conduct.
The matter was mentioned before the Court in the morning by Advocate Prashant Bhushan, who submitted that a group of lawyers protesting inside the BCI premises on August 21 had allegedly been assaulted by certain persons claiming to be lawyers.
According to the petitioners, around 20 to 25 lawyers were protesting against BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra when the alleged incident took place.
The protest came amid growing demands for Mishra’s resignation following his order barring the enrolment of students from NALSAR Hyderabad’s 2026 batch over their campaign against the CJI. The decision was subsequently withdrawn following criticism from within and outside the legal fraternity.
Bhushan told the Court that the protesting lawyers were allegedly beaten up by persons claiming to be advocates. He further alleged that Mishra had encouraged such “lawlessness” by referring to the protesters as “legal cockroaches.”
The petitioners sought a CBI investigation into the alleged assault and an immediate direction for preservation of the CCTV footage from the BCI premises. Bhushan also argued that since the Supreme Court was already hearing matters relating to the BCI, it could consider the present petition as well.
However, CJI Kant said that the appropriate High Court could deal with the matter. The Bench also observed that lawyers should have availed themselves of the legal remedies available to them rather than resorting to protests. Bhushan responded that irrespective of whether the lawyers were protesting, they could not have been assaulted. Chief Justice Kant concurred, agreeing that it was out of the question.
As the Court indicated that the Delhi High Court was the appropriate forum, Bhushan said that the petitioners would withdraw the plea and approach the High Court.
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