SC slams senior counsel for playing "fraud on the court" to get relief in a demolition case from Kerala

The Supreme Court on Friday slammed a senior Counsel for playing "fraud on the court" to get relief in a case related to the demolition of nearly 400 flats in the Ernakulam district in Kerala.

The Bench of Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Navin Sinha was irked with senior advocate and petitioners for getting interim order from a bench by suppressing the fact that the same relief was denied by another bench.

Earlier on May 8, the Supreme Court had ordered the demolition of five apartments in Ernakulam's Maradu municipality for violation of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) rules. The order was passed by a Bench led by Justice Arun Mishra.

Later on June 10, a vacation bench of the Supreme Court directed to maintain status quo for six weeks in the matter and posted it for hearing on July 5.

"This can't be permitted and tolerated. Are you responsible fellow on earth? What's happening in this court? It's the height of misconduct. You are suppressing every fact from different benches. We declined to stay and you obtained stay from another bench by suppressing every fact," Justice Mishra said to the counsel here.

He further lambasted the Counsel by saying, "Should we draw contempt against you? What is happening in this court? Three to four senior counsels are part of this fraud. You are playing fraud over the Supreme Court. Perpetual fraud is being played upon the Supreme Court. Senior counsels are part of the fraud that is being played upon this court."

"No morality left for the senior counsel of this court? It should not have happened in this court. Is money everything for you people? How long we should protect you? Why everyday counsels are being changed? To influence me? Are you destabilising the court?" he added.