Supreme Court raps Karnataka HC judge: No part of India can be called 'Pakistan'

The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday (September 25) concluded its proceedings against a Karnataka High Court judge, who faced backlash for controversial comments made during judicial hearings. The judge, Justice Vedavyasachar Srishananda, had referred to Gori Palya, a Muslim-majority area in Bengaluru, as "Pakistan," igniting widespread criticism across social media and legal circles.

A five-member bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud expressed strong disapproval of the remarks and said, "No one can call any part of India as Pakistan. It is fundamentally against the territorial integrity of the nation." The court stressed the importance of maintaining decorum and restraint in judicial conduct, especially in an era where court proceedings are live-streamed and scrutinized by the public.

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The bench acknowledged the "contrite apology" offered by Justice Srishananda during a court proceeding on September 21. The justices decided to close the suo motu proceedings in the interest of justice and respect for the high court. However, they warned that "casual observations" made by judges could reflect individual bias and called for greater mindfulness in judicial conduct to ensure fairness and impartiality.

The controversy erupted after videos surfaced on social media, showing Justice Srishananda making inappropriate remarks during court hearings. In addition to his comment about Gori Palya, the judge was also criticized for making objectionable comments toward a female advocate. These remarks drew condemnation from prominent lawyers, including Indira Jaising, who called for the judge to undergo gender sensitization training.

On September 20, the Supreme Court had directed the Karnataka High Court registry to provide a report concerning the judge's comments. Following the backlash, the Karnataka High Court temporarily prohibited public and social media platforms from sharing live-streamed court proceedings, responding to concerns raised by the Advocates’ Association, Bengaluru (AAB) about the editing of these videos in violation of established regulations.

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Justice Srishananda expressed regret for any offense his comments may have caused, asserting that they were made unintentionally and taken out of context.

• CJI
• Chief Justice of India
• DY Chandrachud
• Gori Palya
• Karnataka High Court
• Pakistan
• Supreme Court
• Bengaluru