During the hearing of the CEC Protest matter, Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan today questioned whether the authorities took permission from the Chief Justice of India before erecting a board imposing prohibition under Section 163 BNSS around Supreme Court area. 

Gopal S posed to the respondents-side, including Solicitor General Tushar Mehta,  "Did you take permission from the Chief Justice of India [for uploading the board on imposition of S.163]?" 

Initially, SCAORA President Devratt submitted before the Court that the lawyers' body was not informed about the imposition of Section 163 prohibition around the Supreme Court. Responding to the submission in a lighter vein, Justice Bagchi said that if the prohibitory order was not properly published, it would be a good ground to quash it. 

Subsequently, Gopal S submitted that imposition of Section 163 BNSS outside the Supreme Court and hoisting of a board to that effect was "shocking". He contended that permission ought to have been obtained from the competent authority at the Supreme Court before imposing such a prohibition. 

After hearing the parties, a bench of Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana directed the authorities to take down the board concerning the imposition of Section 163 of BNSS in the area around the Supreme Court, if not already done, to ensure there is no apprehension regarding access to justice, including ingress and egress to any court of law.