New Delhi: The Supreme Court concluded the case against Karnataka High Court Judge Justice Vedavyasachar Srishananda on September 25, after he publicly apologised for his contentious remarks made in court. The decision was taken by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, who headed a bench of five judges, to uphold justice and the honour of the judiciary.
"No one can call any part of territory of India as Pakistan," Chief Justice Chandrachud said. "It is fundamentally against the territorial integrity of the nation. The answer to sunlight is more sunlight and not to suppress what happens in court. The answer is not to close it down." CJI Chandrachud said.
#SupremeCourt drops proceedings against the #Karnataka high court judge in the wake of his apology in an open court proceedings on Sep 21. The five-judge bench notes the need to preserve institutional integrity will need not to proceed following justice Srishananda's apology. https://t.co/aSYtta5Dx2
— Utkarsh Anand (@utkarsh_aanand) September 25, 2024
Justice Srishananda presiding over a recent court session. While dealing with a landlord-tenant conflict, Justice Srishananda made a derogatory remark about a Muslim-majority area in Bengaluru, calling it "Pakistan," and also made a disrespectful comment about a female lawyer. His remarks, widely spread on social platforms, caused the Supreme Court to request a report from the Karnataka High Court, which was promptly provided.
"Casual observational may indicate personal biases especially when perceived to be directed at a certain gender or community. Thus one must be wary of making patriarchal or misogynistic comments. We express our serious concern about observations on a certain gender or a community and such observations are liable to be construed in a negative light. We hope and trust that the responsibilities entrusted to all stakeholders are discharged without bias and caution," CJI Chandrachud said today.
Supreme Court's Verdict
The Supreme Court had decided to handle the case independently and had requested a report from the Karnataka High Court regarding the contentious remarks. On September 20, CJI Chandrachud and four other justices spoke about the importance of creating specific rules for judges in constitutional courts concerning their statements in court.
The Supreme Court bench emphasised the need for judicial commentary to match the decorum of courts of law when social media is actively involved in monitoring and amplifying courtroom proceedings.
Justice Srishanananda's Viral Video
In one video, he called a Muslim-majority area in Bengaluru "Pakistan," and in another video, he made offensive remarks about a female lawyer. In another instance, Justice Srishanananda commented to the female lawyer that she appeared very familiar with the "opposition party," to the point where she could possibly disclose the colour of their underwear.