I'm A Tough Person, Wrong To Think Anyone Can Browbeat Court By Social Media Commentary : CJI Surya Kant

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Thursday said that he was a very tough person and was not affected by the commentaries on social media about court proceedings. The CJI expressed concern about the growing trend of people commenting on matters pending before the Court and misinterpreting the questions posed by judges during hearings.

He observed that judicial queries are meant to test the strength of arguments from both sides and do not represent the Court's final view. However, without understanding that, people jump to conclusions and weave narratives about the proceedings merely based on some queries raised during the hearing.

"Now people are so hypersensitive that you start alleging bias... You ask one question and people think...I'm going to take very strongly, I am not afraid of these things ...because the court makes an observation, you start blaming...Court will have to analyse certain things. We create hyper-analytical situations in court sometimes....there is a wrong impression that somebody can browbeat the court ....I am not going take.. I am a very tough person to be handled,” CJI said.

The remarks came during the hearing of a petition filed by ex-MP Prajwal Revanna seeking the transfer of rape trials against him. When Revanna's lawyers argued that certain comments by the trial judge created an apprehension of bias, the CJI rejected the claim and reiterated that mere observations from the bench cannot indicate a pre-determined mind. The bench comprising CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi ultimately dismissed Revanna's petition.

These sharp comments appeared to be a response to an open letter circulated by a group of ex-judges, advocates and activists taking objection to the comments made by the CJI during a hearing related to the Rohingya issue. While hearing a matter concerning the alleged custodial disappearance of Rohingyas, CJI had asked if they had any legal status as refugees and if India should give a "red carpet" welcome to illegal migrants. The signatories of the letter, underlining that Rohingyas were vulnerable people who escaped persecution in their home country, opined that the comments of the CJI were "contrary to core constitutional values." Earlier this week, a group of 44 retired judges published another statement, supporting the CJI, and terming the open letter a "motivated campaign" to malign the Court.

However, the CJI did not make any express reference to the letter pertaining to the Rohingya observations.

Earlier, Justice Surya Kant had taken a serious objection to a statement issued by a group of academics regarding the Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad case, saying, "We know how to deal with these people; they are not outside our jurisdiction"