- Chief Justice Surya Kant urged ignoring last week's courtroom disruption incident
- A petitioner verbally abused the CJI and threw papers during Supreme Court hearing
- The petitioner claimed to be sovereign and ordered FIR registration against ASP Lucknow
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Monday broke his silence over last week's courtroom disruption, in which a litigant abused him and threw papers in court.
Urging that the incident be "ignored", the CJI said such things happen at times.
"Ignore the incident. Youngsters sometimes do such things," Justice Surya Kant said. He added that upholding the dignity of constitutional institutions is more important.
"I would like to say that we all have a duty to uphold the dignity and image of all constitutional institutions. We all have a duty to protect them and ensure their prestige is maintained," he said.
What Happened In Court
High drama unfolded in the Supreme Court on July 10 when a man, appearing as a petitioner-in-person, verbally abused CJI Surya Kant, threw papers in the courtroom and was escorted out by security personnel after disrupting proceedings.
The petitioner, identified as Prabal Pratap, appeared before the bench and introduced himself as "the sovereign". Addressing the judges as "judicial servants", he said, "Mr Judicial Servant, I order you to order the registration of an FIR against the ASP, Lucknow, for running a syndicate in cybercrime."
A surprised Justice KV Viswanathan asked him, "You are ordering me? You are ordering us?"
The petitioner then began abusing the Chief Justice and threw papers into the air.
Court security personnel intervened and escorted him out. He was detained in the DSP's office inside the court complex for some time.
Despite the disruption, the bench decided not to initiate contempt or any other coercive proceedings. "He is very disturbed... it's all frustration. We only have sympathies for him," the court remarked.
Bar Bodies Condemn Incident
The Supreme Court Bar Association strongly condemned the incident. "The dignity and majesty of the Court must be respected at all times. Any attempt to abuse, threaten or disrupt judicial proceedings is wholly unacceptable and strikes at the very foundation of the administration of justice," the SCBA said in a statement.
"Such conduct must be dealt with firmly and strictly in accordance with law."
The Supreme Court Arguing Counsel Association also wrote to CJI Surya Kant seeking "strong and strict action" against those involved in the commotion.
