A dramatic scene erupted inside the Supreme Court of India on Friday as a petitioner-in-person verbally abused Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, threw papers inside the courtroom and refused to follow courtroom decorum. The disruption briefly halted proceedings before security personnel intervened and escorted him out.
The incident occurred around 11 a.m. before a Bench comprised of Justices K.V. Viswanathan and Alok Aradhe that heard matters on a partial working day.
Prabal Pratap, the petitioner, identified as "the sovereign" in his opening speech in court, referred to the judges as "judicial servants." An unusual opening was that he asked that the court order the registration of an FIR against the Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Lucknow, alleging that the officer was running a cybercrime syndicate.
Confronting the Bench in a commanding tone, Pratap said, *"Mr Judicial Servant, I order you to order the registration of an FIR against the ASP, Lucknow, for running a syndicate in cybercrime."*
Justice K.V. Viswanathan was surprised by the statement: “You are ordering me? You are ordering us?”
Instead of responding to the Bench’s query, the petitioner became increasingly agitated. He began verbally abusing Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and suddenly threw papers into the air in the courtroom, court proceedings say.
Court security personnel immediately intervened and escorted the man out of the courtroom in order to restore order. He was then detained for some time in the Deputy Superintendent of Police's office in the Supreme Court premises where the Deputy Superintendent of Police was located.
Supreme Court Declines Contempt Proceedings
Despite the disruptive behaviour, the Bench did not begin contempt of court proceedings or other coercive action against the petitioner.
Justice Viswanathan announced, “We do not propose to take any action against him.” The Bench then decided to look at the legal merits of the petition.
After reviewing the records, the court found no reason to interfere with the order passed by the Allahabad High Court and dismissed the Special Leave Petition (SLP).
Justice Viswanathan also made a compassionate observation about the petitioner's conduct, stating: “He is very disturbed... it’s all frustration. We only have sympathy for him.”
What Was the Case About?
The case was motivated by an order of the Allahabad High Court which dismissed Prabal Pratap’s writ petition against a decision of the Special Chief Judicial Magistrate (Customs), Lucknow.
Earlier, the magistrate had ordered that his application be treated as a 'private complaint' and not the registration of an FIR.
The Allahabad High Court had ruled that the petitioner had an effective alternative legal remedy against the magistrate's order and gave him the liberty to approach the appropriate forum.
The Supreme Court agreed with the High Court and that there were no valid grounds to interfere with the earlier judgment. So it dismissed the Special Leave Petition, and the legal process was over.
Hence, while the courtroom disruption was of such a magnitude it was impossible to escape its immediate attention, the Supreme Court’s reluctance to take any action appeared to exemplify the Court’s emphasis on judicial restraint and judicial composure in the face of disruptive behaviour.
