"Is This A Cinema Hall?": Patna Judge Reprimands Bureaucrat

A Patna High Court judge on Friday pulled up a senior IAS officer for 'inappropriate' dressing when he showed up to his court. While the officer struggled to convey that he was unaware of any dress code to be followed in courts, the judge rebuked him asking if he thought he had come to a movie theatre.

The incident, a video of which is going viral on social media, is from the court of Justice PB Bajanthri. The officer in question is Anand Kishor who is the Principal Secretary for Housing and Urban Development in the Bihar government. He is also considered very close to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. 

In the viral video clip, the judge can be seen reprimanding him for over two minutes as he showed up for a hearing in a white shirt with his collar buttons open and no blazer. The judge took issue with the apparent casual dress and asked Mr Kishor if he hadn't attended the civil service training institute in Mussoorie.

While the officer struggled to find words, mostly just standing there and listening to the judge, Justice Bajanthri looked visibly upset and asked, "Do you think this is a cinema hall?"

"You don't know in what dress court you have to appear in the court?" he further asked him, while the officer looked at the lawyers surrounding him in bewilderment. 

"At least meaning coat, and collar shouldn't be open," the judge said.