'Can't call region of India Pakistan...': SC blasts Karnataka judge
The Supreme Court on Wednesday criticized Karnataka High Court judge Justice V Srishananda for his controversial comments about a Bengaluru locality during a recent hearing, saying no region in India should be referred to as Pakistan. A bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud noted that the judge had apologized for his remarks—which were captured in two viral videos. The bench added that lawyers, judges, and litigants must act responsibly—especially given the wide reach of livestreamed court proceedings.
'Against territorial integrity of nation...': CJI
The CJI said, "Since the judge... is not party before us, we will not make further observations... We hope that the demands placed on all institutions in the electronic age will elicit modulation of behavior." The SC added that controversies like this should not lead to calls for halting the livestreaming of court proceedings. "No one can call any part of India as Pakistan. It is fundamentally against the territorial integrity of the nation," the CJI said.
'Be aware of wider impact of observations...': CJI Chandrachud
"The answer to sunlight is more sunlight and not to suppress what happens in court. The answer is not to close it down," CJI Chandrachud added. "All parties, judges, lawyers, litigants must be aware that proceedings reach audiences who are well beyond the physical precints of the court...all must be aware of the wider impact of observations on the community at large," he said.
SC sought report from Karnataka HC
The Supreme Court had previously sought a report from the Karnataka High Court regarding Justice Srishananda's controversial remarks. These comments were made during a landlord-tenant dispute and involved referring to a Muslim-majority area in Bengaluru as "Pakistan." The bench expressed serious concern about observations that could be construed negatively, especially when perceived to be directed at a certain gender or community. Justice Srishananda has since expressed regret over his controversial remarks.
