In a significant judicial development, the Supreme Court on Friday initiated suo motu proceedings concerning alleged inappropriate comments made by Justice Vedavyasachar Srishananda of the Karnataka High Court towards a woman lawyer during a court session. The incident, which has garnered extensive media attention, prompted a swift response from the apex court.
A five-judge bench, led by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and including Justices Sanjiv Khanna, B.R. Gavai, Surya Kant, and Hrishikesh Roy, convened to address the issue. The bench has requested a detailed report from the Karnataka High Court, seeking clarity and context regarding Justice Srishananda’s comments during the proceedings.
Chief Justice Chandrachud highlighted the court’s concern, stating, “Attention has been drawn to media reports concerning comments made by Justice…of Karnataka High Court during the court proceedings. We request the Karnataka High Court to submit a report after seeking instructions from the Chief Justice of the high court.”
The incident came to light following a viral video showing Justice Srishananda reprimanding the woman lawyer, with the content of his remarks causing public and professional uproar. Senior advocate Indira Jaising also played a crucial role in bringing this matter to the fore, using the social media platform ‘X’ to call upon the Chief Justice to take judicial notice of the comments.
The Supreme Court has indicated that it might establish basic guidelines to prevent such incidents in the future, underscoring the judiciary’s commitment to maintaining decorum and respect within courtroom interactions.
