An e-commerce website, Lawkart.in, has come under scrutiny after a social media post from a lawyer highlighted its practice of selling advocate neckbands accompanied by a lengthy review section featuring purported endorsements from the highest levels of the Indian judiciary, including sitting and former Chief Justices of India, Supreme Court judges, and eminent senior advocates, some of whom are deceased.
The issue was brought to public attention by Pune-based lawyer Ankur Jahagirdar in a LinkedIn post. Mr. Jahagirdar first pointed out the significant price disparity of the product—an advocate’s neckband. The item, listed with an original price of Rs 1,799, was being sold for a “sale” price of Rs 499. He noted that this is “considerably higher than the typical cost of the item, which is readily available in court premises for around Rs 20.”
However, the “most remarkable aspect,” as noted in the source material, was not the price but the extensive review section. Mr. Jahagirdar’s post stated: “But that’s not the fun part. The fun part is the reviews on the neck band that are published on the website. The reviewers? Justice SA Bobde, Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice Arun Mishra, Justice BR Gavai, Justice Rohinton Nariman etc.”
The analysis of the reviews suggests the endorsements are not authentic, following “more or less the same script.” For example, a review attributed to former CJI Justice UU Lalit reads, “Love the professional dotted design and comfortable material. The band was slightly tight initially but overall impressive for maintaining proper advocate dress standards in court.”
Another review, allegedly by former CJI Justice SA Bobde, states, “Perfect for advocate dress code requirements. The band adds authenticity to my legal attire and the dotted pattern is comfortable during long hearings. Quality excellent throughout.”
The list of purported reviewers includes several former Chief Justices. Justice DY Chandrachud is quoted twice, with one review stating, “The advocate neck band arrived well-packaged and looks exactly like professional legal accessories. The dotted pattern is distinctive, and the quality is suitable for regular court use.” A review attributed to former CJI Justice NV Ramana claims, “Using this for my court appearances and it works perfectly. The dotted design gives that traditional advocate look that judges and clients expect from legal professionals.”
The list also features endorsements attributed to the current Chief Justice of India, Justice BR Gavai, and the next CJI, Justice Surya Kant.
Other former Supreme Court judges allegedly reviewing the product include Justice Rohinton Nariman, quoted as saying, “This neck band brings elegance to advocate attire. The dotted pattern is sophisticated and the quality feels premium,” as well as Justice Deepak Gupta, Justice Arun Mishra, Justice Hemant Gupta, and Justice Madan Lokur.
The endorsements also extend to prominent legal officers and senior advocates, including Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, former Attorney General KK Venugopal, King’s Counsel Harish Salve, and Senior Advocates Mukul Rohatgi, Kapil Sibal, P. Chidambaram, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Dushyant Dave, and Indira Jaising.
Further casting doubt on the reviews’ authenticity, the website features three- to five-month-old endorsements attributed to eminent legal personalities who are no longer alive, including Senior Advocates Fali Nariman, Soli Sorabjee, and Ram Jethmalani.
The review section is not limited to legal figures; it also includes purported reviews from political leaders such as Shashi Tharoor, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Sachin Pilot, Bhupinder Hooda, Ajay Maken, Mehbooba Mufti, and Omar Abdullah.
