The Supreme Court, today, witnessed an unusual exchange between the Chief Justice and a lawyer Advocate Ashok Pandey who mentioned a matter before the Chief Justice's Bench and alleged that the matter was dismissed by another Bench without a proper hearing.

Chief Justice told the lawyer who alleged that his matter was dismissed without a proper hearing by the bench headed by Justice BR Gavai that any allegation against the Judges is unacceptable and one cannot have control over how Judges decide.

Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said, "Dekhiye, I am not in Appeal against any other Court of the Supreme Court. Listen, do not make any allegation against any colleague. I will not tolerate it. Please, this is unacceptable to me. All judges are seasoned judges here. They have been judges for years and years, lawyers for so many decades...Just go and argue your matter before the Court...Court me behes ke waqt thoda garma garmi ho jati hai."

CJI also remarked, "You must have really provoked my colleague... Don't bring unnecessary issues here. If you are aggrieved you can always file a review...but please don't make allegations against judges. I will not accept that."

After Pande informed the Bench as regards the details of the matter, CJI told him, "It is your duty as a member of Bar to argue the matter responsibly, and then you leave it to the Judge to decide...you cannot have a control over how Judges decide, they apply their training, their experience..."

After Pandey's persistent arguments, CJI replied, "Even a person like me is now getting impatient, I can imagine what must be happening to people who don't have my patience."

Pandey had filed a petition seeking to recall the order of imposition of the cost of rupees one lac for filing a petition challenging the restoration of Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha membership. The matter was listed, today in the first half before the bench headed by Justice BR Gavai.

The Bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan had reprimanded him earlier in the day and said, “You should think 100 times before filing these many petitions.”

Pandey submitted, "This is the issue where the restoration of Sri. Rahul Gandhi, in view of the order of the Supreme Court, was challenged. Kindly see the order passed by the Constitution Bench."

Justice Gavai said, "How many Courts have imposed costs on you? This is not the only Court that has imposed costs."

Pandey replied, "I have filed 200 PILs."

The Court then rejected his petition and asked him to leave the dias.

Pandey persisted, "Please recall it My Lords."

Justice Gavai said, "If you do not clear the podium now, we will have to unnecessarily embarrass ourselves."

Even after this, Pandey kept on arguing. To which Justice Gavai strongly said, "If you utter a sentence, we will issue the notice of contempt…You should think 100 times before filing such a petition. If you are filing 200 petitions, you should at least give some thought before filing such a petition.”

Cause Title: Ashok Pandey v. The Speaker Of Lok Sabha (M.A. 821/2024 in M.A. 2716/2023)

Chief Justice DY ChandrachudJustice BR Gavai

Aastha Kaushik