Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant has sought a report from the Andhra Pradesh High Court administration on a controversial courtroom exchange that drew sharp criticism from the legal fraternity.
The episode, which unfolded before Justice Tarlada Rajasekhar Rao on Monday, triggered a wave of reactions on social media after a video of the proceedings surfaced, with several senior lawyers questioning the manner in which the hearing was conducted.
According to the video, while the court had orally directed that the advocate be taken into custody for 24 hours, the order was not executed after members of the High Court Bar Association stepped in, urging restraint.
The incident occurred during the hearing of a petition challenging the issuance of a look out circular (LoC) and the impounding of a passport.
The exchange escalated when Justice Rao took exception to the conduct of the petitioner’s counsel, at one point remarking: “Have I decided to dismiss your writ petition?… Are you thinking you are a great senior advocate?...you don’t even have 10 years’ standing…Call the police. You go and file appeal.”
The advocate, who appeared to be in discomfort, was seen apologising with folded hands and seeking the court’s indulgence.
However, the direction did not translate into actual custody. People aware of the matter told HT that following intervention by the Bar, the situation de-escalated and the order was not enforced.
The controversy has since snowballed, with prominent voices from the Bar flagging concerns over judicial conduct.
