Be Careful While Signing In Pleadings Making Scandalous Allegations Against Judges: Supreme Court Cautions Lawyers
The Supreme Court was considering a matter where scurrilous and scandalous allegations were made against a sitting Judge of the Telangana High Court.
CJI B.R. Gavai, Justice K. Vinod Chandran, Supreme Court
While highlighting the growing trend of lawyers making scurrilous and scandalous allegations against the Judges when they do not get favourable orders, the Supreme Court has held that lawyers should be careful while subscribing their signatures on the pleadings which are in the nature of making scandalous allegations against the Judges.
The Apex Court was considering a matter where scurrilous and scandalous allegations were made against a sitting Judge of the Telangana High Court.
The Single Bench of Chief Justice Of India B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran asserted, “Since the learned Judge of the High Court against whom scandalous and scurrilous allegations were made, has accepted the unconditional apology tendered by the alleged contemnors, we are also inclined to accept the unconditional apology tendered by them. However, we put a note of caution that the lawyers who are expected to act as officers of Court, should be careful while subscribing their signatures on the pleadings which are in the nature of making scandalous and scurrilous allegations against the Judges of the Court.”
Senior Advocate S. Nagamuthu represented the alleged contemnors.
Factual Background
The case revolved around a Transfer Petition where the Apex Court had already expressed its displeasure with the language used in the said petition. The Court had refused to permit the petitioner to withdraw the said petition. Notice was issued to the petitioner to show cause as to why an action for committing Contempt of the Court should not be initiated against them. On August 11, 2025, the alleged contemnors were permitted by the Apex Court to tender their unconditional apology before the Judge of the High Court. The matter was reopened before the High Court, and the Single Judge accepted the apology tendered by the alleged contemnors.
Reasoning
The Bench, at the outset, observed, “In the recent past, we have noticed a growing trend of lawyers making scurrilous and scandalous allegations against the Judge(s), in the pleadings, when they do not get favourable orders. Such a practice has to be strongly deprecated.”
The Bench was of the view that the lawyers before subscribing their autographs to a pleading making scurrilous and scandalous allegations against a Judge ought to think about the serious repercussions of the same.
Accepting the apology tendered by the alleged contemnors, the Bench closed the Contempt Proceedings.
Cause Title: In Re: N. Peddi Raju and Others (Neutral Citation: 2025 INSC 1321)
Appearance
Alleged Contemnors: Advocate Varun Thakur, AOR M/s Varun Thakur & Associate, Senior Advocates S. Nagamuthu, Sanjay R. Hegde,M. R. Shamshad, Dr. K. S. Chauhan, Mohammed Shahrukh, AOR Ranbir Singh Yadav, Advocates Prateek Yadav, Puran Mal Saini, Anzu K. Varkey, Yogesh Yadav, AOR James P. Thomas, Advocates Ankit Tiwari, Tanay Hegde, Rahul Singh, Vishal Jogdand, Pratik Bombarde