 "Why a Karnataka HC judge has landed in soup over his ‘Pakistan’, ‘undergarments’ remarks")
A Karnataka High Court judge has created a stir with his controversial statements during court proceedings, allegedly referring to a Muslim-majority area in Bengaluru as “Pakistan” and making sexist comments to a woman lawyer. The Supreme Court has stepped in after the clips of these alleged remarks surfaced on social media.
On Friday (September 20), the top court took note of the controversy, seeking a report from the Registrar General of the Karnataka High Court. A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrahud, has also asked for assistance from Attorney General R Venkataramani and Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta in the matter.
Let’s take a closer look.
What’s the row?
In a recent clip, Justice Vedavyasachar Srishananda, a Karnataka High Court judge, can be heard allegedly alluding to a Muslim-dominated locality in Karnataka’s Bengaluru as “Pakistan”.
As per Indian Express, during a hearing in a landlord-tenant case on August 28, the judge said, “Go towards the Mysore Road Flyover, every autorickshaw has got 10 people… The Mysore Road Flyover from the market to Goripalya is in Pakistan, not in India. This is the reality… However strict an officer you send, he will be beaten. This is not on any channel.”
The purported video clip of the judge making these remarks has spread on social media, causing uproar.
Another controversial clip of the judge has been widely shared online, prompting senior advocate Indira Jaising to demand suo motu action against the judge.
He can be seen telling a woman advocate that she seemed to know a lot about the opposing party, suggesting she might even be able to identify the colour of their “undergarments”, reported India Today.
Sharing the video on X, senior advocate Jaising, “We call upon the Chief Justice of India to take suo moto action against this judge and send him for gender sensitisation training.”
We call upon the Chief Justice of India to take suo moto action agsinst this judge and send him for gender sensitisation training. pic.twitter.com/MPEP6x8Jov
— Indira Jaising (@IJaising) September 19, 2024
Civil rights groups and activists also condemned the objectionable remarks, labelling them “prejudiced and unconstitutional.”
Several groups, including the People’s Union For Civil Liberties (PUCL) - Karnataka and All India Lawyers Association For Justice (AILAJ), have called on the Supreme Court to take “immediate remedial measures”, as per The News Minute (TNM).
“The statements made by Justice Srishananda display unconstitutional animus on grounds of gender and religion. Such remarks undermine the judiciary’s role in upholding constitutional values and damage public trust in the legal system,” they reportedly said.
Jagruta Nagarikaru Karnataka, a civil society group comprising writers and activists, called the judge’s comments as “deeply disturbing”. “We are shocked to hear that during a High Court hearing, a judge reportedly said that the Muslim community in Bengaluru is not India but Pakistan. Ours is a country that believes in the equality of all religions. With rising incidents of atrocities targeting religious minorities, particularly Muslims, we fear that such statements from the judiciary could further harm communal harmony,” it said in a statement, as per TNM.
Supreme Court takes note
Amid the controversy, the Supreme Court has sought a report from the Karnataka High Court.
“The attention of the court has been drawn to media reports pertaining to certain comments which have been made by a judge of the Karnataka High Court, Justice Vedavyasachar Srishananda, during the contract of judicial proceedings. We have requested the learned Attorney General of India and the Solicitor General to assist this court,” the five-judge bench comprising the CJI and Justices Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, Surya Kant, and Hrishikesh Roy said in an order.
The apex court also stressed the need to set up clear guidelines for constitutional court judges regarding their remarks in courts. The bench observed that social media is actively tracking and amplifying proceedings in the court, making it urgent to ensure that judicial remarks are in line with the decorum expected from courts of law.
The bench directed the Register General of the High Court to submit a report. “This exercise may be carried out in the next two days and the report may be submitted to the secretary general of this court in the meantime,” the court said.
The apex court will next hear the matter on September 26.
With inputs from agencies
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