Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Sept 20: A five-judge Bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud on Friday took suo motu cognisance of some disparaging and sexist remarks by a judge of the Karnataka High Court and has sought a detailed report from the registrar while expressing the need for establishing clear guidelines for constitutional court judges regarding their remarks in court in view of the issues becoming public through the social media.
The bench also comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna, B.R. Gavai, Surya Kant and Hrishikesh Roy took cognisance of a video clip on social media showing the High Court judge’s “scandalous” remarks in open court to a woman lawyer during proceeding also sought the assistance of Attorney General R. Venkataramani and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, both of whom were present in the courtroom.
The High Court judge, Justice Vedavyasachar Srishananda, was seen on video making a sexist and disparaging remark to the woman lawyer, creating a furore online. The Bench has directed the Registrar General, Karnataka High Court, to consult with the Chief Justice of the High Court and submit a report on the incident in the next two days. The Bench listed the case for hearing on September 25.
The Supreme Court bench said when social media played an active role in monitoring and amplifying courtroom proceedings, there was an urgency to ensure judicial commentary aligns with the decorum expected from courts of law.
“Attention has been drawn to media reports to the comments made by Justice…of Karnataka High Court during the court proceedings. We request the Karnataka High Court to submit a report after seeking instructions from the Chief Justice of the high court,” Chief Justice Chandrachud said. We may lay down some basic guidelines.”
Senior advocate Indira Jaising had posted the video on ‘X’ with a comment “we call upon the Chief Justice of India to take suo motu action against this judge and send him for gender sensitisation training.”
The video showed that the judge’s comment was triggered by the initiative taken by the woman lawyer to respond to a question directed at the male lawyer representing the opposite side in the case. The judge said, in a jocular tone, that she seemed to know everything about him and may even reveal the colour of his undergarments if asked tomorrow.
The same judge had, on a previous occasion, been in the eye of public storm for reportedly referring to a Muslim dominated “Gori Palya”sub-locality in West Bengaluru as ‘Pakistan’ while hearing a landlord-tenant issue.
During the hearing, while discussing traffic issues near the Mysore Road flyover, Justice Srishananda had said, “Go to the Mysore Road flyover, every auto rickshaw has 10 people. It is not applicable because the Mysore flyover head left to the market from Gori Palya is in Pakistan, not in India. This is the reality. No matter how strict a police officer you put there, they will be beaten up there.”
