On Wednesday, the Supreme Court terminated proceedings against a Karnataka High Court judge for his recent comments to the media during court sittings where he was critical and even passed remarks referring to Gori Palya, which is a place in Bengaluru has the majority of the Muslim population, as ‘Pakistan.’
Five seniormost judges, including Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, while making their clear Conservative tranches of the activists, conveyed that no part of India should be named as Pakistan and such a disposition is patent that strikes at the root of territorial integrity of the country. The bench also pointed out the need for judges to be on their best behavior, given that court proceedings are, on many occasions, broadcast live.
The bench also noted Justice Vedavyasachar Srishananda’s “contrite apology” made during the open court on 21 September, saying that along with the interest of justice and bearing in mind the dignity of the institution, the suo motu matter should be put to a close. However, the Supreme Court stressed that it is important for judges to be cautious when choosing their words and actions, stating that inappropriate jokes can result from prejudice, especially if it is done in relation to certain genders or communities.
In addition, the bench pointed out how it is important for the judges to present an appearance of bias in order to retain the legitimacy of the judiciary arms. The Supreme Court had earlier passed an order to the Karnataka High Court registry to file a report on two videos on social media showing a judge passing lewd comments. For instance, in one of the videos, the judge referred to Gori Palya – a predominantly Muslim-majority neighborhood – as ‘Pakistan,’ and in another, addressed a female advocate inappropriately.
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