A routine hearing at the Supreme Court took an unexpected turn on Friday (July 10, 2026) when a man, believed to be representing himself in court, disrupted the proceedings by throwing a bundle of papers toward the Bench.
Justices K.V. Viswanathan and Alok Aradhe took a break to confer in the courtroom.
According to reports, the man spoke to the Bench for several minutes, but his presentations were difficult to understand. His remarks were disjointed as he spoke and the judges could not understand what relief he was seeking.
The man referred to the judges as "Mr. Judicial Servant" throughout his remarks and called for them to take action against a senior police officer from Lucknow. His odd way of addressing the court caught the attention of everybody present in the courtroom.
Justice K.V. Viswanathan intervened and wondered whether the man was attempting to issue directions to the Bench. The litigant answered in an unclear manner that he was “sovereign” only seconds later. At the end of the hearing, he concluded his submissions by saying “That is all from my side. Everything is on record."
Afterward, the man took a bundle of loose papers from his file and tossed them to the judges. The papers scattered through the courtroom and shocked lawyers, court staff, and the others in the room.
What the hell just happened in the supreme court 😱 pic.twitter.com/n5s9nAGCGA
— Divya Gandotra Tandon (@divya_gandotra) July 10, 2026
The security guards in the courtroom handled this quickly and escorted the man out of the courtroom. The judges appeared unharmed and the court resumed as usual when order was restored.
The latest disruption is reminiscent of another incident in October last year, when a lawyer threw an object toward a Bench headed by the then Chief Justice of India, Justice B.R. Gavai. In the process of being removed by security officials, the lawyer shouted slogans in support of Sanatan Dharma.
After that episode, Justice Gavai decided not to initiate contempt proceedings and treated the matter with restraint despite the disruption inside the courtroom.
The Supreme Court has also seen similar incidents in the past. In 2009, a woman threw a slipper towards Justice Arijit Pasayat at the hearing of a contempt case. The footwear narrowly missed the judge after he failed to duck, and she was arrested.
A more serious security breach took place in March 1968 when a man armed with a knife attacked judges sitting in the courtroom of the then Chief Justice of India, Justice M. Hidayatullah.
Justice Hidayatullah had to fight with him and kept him down until security personnel arrived at the Bench. Before he could get away, the attacker struck Justice A.N. Grover, who sustained a serious blow to the back of his head when he was hit by the attacker.
This incident has once again highlighted the importance of maintaining courtroom security and judicial decorum. There was swift action by security personnel to keep the disruption to a minimum and court business going normally.
