Targeting judges ‘a fashion’, most cases in Maharashtra and UP: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has expressed serious concern over the “fashion” of making allegations against judges. The apex court said that the two states that top the trend are Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.

At the centre of the court’s observation was an advocate guilty of contempt, sentenced to 15-day imprisonment. While refusing to interfere with an order of the Madras High Court, a vacation bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and Bela M Trivedi said, “The stronger the judge, the worse the allegations. This is happening now in Bombay. Of course, it is rampant in Uttar Pradesh, and now Madras.”

Justice Chadrachud observed that it has become a common practice in some high courts to openly threaten judges, who unfortunately have no security. “Sometimes even a lathi wielding policeman is not available,” he said.

Upholding the advocate’s short imprisonment, the SC no one is above, not even lawyers. “They will also have to face consequences if they try to obstruct the process of justice,” the court said, adding, “Such lawyers are a blot on the judicial process and should be dealt with strictly”. The court came down heavily on the lawyer and called him “completely incorrigible”. Justice Chandrachud said, “He was found at a tea shop near the high court, 100 advocates lay upon him and prevented the warrant from being served. There's CCTV footage... and worse, when the matter came back, he made allegations against Justice PT Asha.”

The court said the imprisonment is a very lenient punishment and hoped that there will be some remorse when he goes to jail and barred from practice.