'Can't call any part of India as Pakistan': CJI pulls up Karnataka HC judge

'No one can call any part of India as Pakistan. This is fundamentally against the territorial integrity of the nation', said CJI DY Chandrachud

The Supreme Court on Wednesday officially concluded the proceedings against Karnataka High Court Judge Justice Vedavyasachar Srishananda, following his public apology for making controversial remarks during court hearings. The ruling was issued by a five-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, who emphasised the importance of upholding both justice and the integrity of the judiciary.

Justice Srishananda faced backlash after making remarks that were deemed offensive during a recent hearing involving a landlord-tenant dispute. The comments, which went viral on social media, included referring to a Muslim-majority area in Bengaluru as ‘Pakistan’ and making a derogatory remark involving a woman lawyer.

Addressing the incident, CJI Chandrachud highlighted the severity of the judge’s comments, stating, “No one can call any part of the territory of India as Pakistan. This is fundamentally against the territorial integrity of the nation. The answer to sunlight is more sunlight and not to suppress what happens in court. The answer is not to close it down.”

The Supreme Court had taken suo motu cognisance of the incident, requesting a report from the Karnataka High Court. This report was swiftly submitted following the controversy. During today’s proceedings, the bench — which included Justices S Khanna, BR Gavai, S Kant, and H Roy — emphasised the importance of formulating guidelines to ensure that constitutional court judges refrain from making inappropriate remarks.

Chief Justice Chandrachud further commented on the dangers of casual remarks by judges, particularly when they display personal biases. “Casual observational may indicate personal biases especially when perceived to be directed at a certain gender or community. Thus one must be wary of making patriarchal or misogynistic comments. We express our serious concern about observations on a certain gender or a community and such observations are liable to be construed in a negative light. We hope and trust that the responsibilities entrusted to all stakeholders are discharged without bias and caution,” Justice Chandrachud said.

In the age of social media, where courtroom proceedings are often widely shared, the bench acknowledged the heightened need for judicial decorum. 

The viral videos of Justice Srishananda’s controversial comments had sparked outrage. In one video, the judge referred to a Muslim-dominated area in Bengaluru as ‘Pakistan’. In another, he made a sexist remark to a woman lawyer, suggesting she was so familiar with the “opposition party” that she might even know “the colour of their undergarments.”