New Delhi: A Supreme Court hearing turned chaotic on Friday after a petitioner appearing in person allegedly threw papers inside the courtroom and used abusive language during the proceedings. The incident happened before a bench of Justice K.V. Viswanathan and Justice Alok Aradhe while the court was hearing a petition related to an Allahabad High Court order. The bench remained calm despite the disruption and later dismissed the petition.
Details of Prabal Pratap Case
During a partial working day in the Supreme Court, a Bench comprising Justices K.V. Viswanathan and Alok Aradhe heard a petition filed by Prabal Pratap, who appeared in person from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.While presenting his case, Pratap addressed the judges as “judicial servants” and requested that they direct the registration of an FIR against an Assistant Superintendent of Police in Lucknow, alleging involvement in a cybercrime syndicate.The hearing then took an unusual turn.
Despite the Bench expressing surprise at his conduct, Pratap continued speaking, tossed some documents towards the judges, and asked them to hand those papers over to the Chief Justice of India. He also used an offensive expression while referring to the CJI.Following the disruption, courtroom security personnel escorted him out, and he was briefly detained in the DSP’s office within the Supreme Court premises.
The Bench ultimately dismissed his petition. However, despite his conduct inside the courtroom, the judges chose not to initiate contempt proceedings or take any other coercive action against him.It remains to be seen whether the Chief Justice of India will respond to the incident, particularly since the Bench decided against initiating proceedings even after the offensive remarks made in open court.
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"I am the sovereign." What began as a routine hearing in the Supreme Court took a dramatic turn when a litigant appearing in person claimed authority over the Bench, demanded an FIR, and then hurled papers toward the judges before being restrained by… pic.twitter.com/Gk1ZIFbMne
Why Was the Case Being Heard
Prabal Pratap had approached the Supreme Court challenging an order of the Allahabad High Court. The High Court had dismissed his plea, observing that he had an effective alternative remedy against an order passed by the Special Chief Judicial Magistrate (Customs), Lucknow. The magistrate had directed that his application be treated as a private complaint rather than ordering the registration of an FIR. While dismissing the writ petition, the High Court granted him liberty to pursue the appropriate legal remedy before the competent forum.
Did the Supreme Court Take Action in Prabal Pratap Case
Despite the disruption, the bench decided not to initiate contempt proceedings or any other action against the petitioner. Justice Viswanathan stated that after examining the records, the court found no valid grounds to interfere with the Allahabad High Court’s order. The Special Leave Petition (SLP) was dismissed.
Senior Advocate’s Observation
After the hearing, senior advocate P.S. Patwalia remarked that the work of a judge is not easy and that such incidents make the challenges of the job more visible. Justice Viswanathan responded with sympathy for the petitioner, saying he appeared disturbed and frustrated, adding that the court had only sympathy for him.
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