‘Cockroach’ Remark Row: Supreme Court Issues Notice On Plea Against CJP Campaign

The Supreme Court has issued notices to the Centre, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Bar Council of India and CBI on a petition alleging misuse of oral observations made during court hearings.

The plea, filed by advocate Raja Chaudhary, refers to a May 15, 2026, observation by Chief Justice Surya Kant involving the word “cockroach”.

Source : PTI

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

• Supreme Court issued notices regarding misuse of judicial observations.
• CJI's
• Petitioner sought probe into campaign and fake degree lawyers.
• Notices sent to Centre, MeitY, BCI, CBI for responses.

The Supreme Court has issued notices to the Centre, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the Bar Council of India and the CBI on a petition alleging misuse of oral observations made by judges and lawyers during court hearings.

The petition specifically refers to a remark made by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant during a hearing in May 2026 and alleges that the word “cockroach” was taken out of context and subsequently used on social media to launch a campaign called the “Cockroach Janta Party” (CJP).

The petitioner has sought an investigation into the activities associated with CJP, along with action to identify and remove lawyers allegedly practising on the basis of fake degrees. The Supreme Court bench headed by the Chief Justice has fixed September 10, 2026, for the next hearing.

Plea Claims CJI's Remark Was Taken Out Of Context

The petition was filed by advocate Raja Chaudhary on May 26. It refers to an observation made by CJI Surya Kant during a hearing on May 15, when the word “cockroach” was used.

According to the petition, the remark was subsequently circulated on social media after being separated from the context of the court proceedings. The petitioner alleged that it was then used for political and commercial purposes.

The plea said the manner in which a campaign was allegedly launched overnight using a court observation raised questions that warranted investigation. It also argued that oral observations made by judges and lawyers should not be selectively edited or presented on social media for personal benefit.

Petitioner Raises Issue Of Allegedly Fake Lawyers

The matter came up for its first hearing on Thursday, August 11. The petitioner initially raised the issue of allegedly fake lawyers and referred to an exercise being undertaken by the Allahabad High Court in Uttar Pradesh to identify such practitioners.

The petitioner argued that a similar exercise should be conducted across the country. According to the plea, people who entered the legal profession using allegedly fake degrees should be identified and removed from practice.

The petitioner then linked the issue to the Supreme Court's May observation, alleging that it had been misrepresented online and presented as a reference to young people as “cockroaches”.

Plea Seeks Probe Into Social Media Campaign

The petitioner told the court that memes and viral content were created around the remark on social media and that a campaign was subsequently launched using it.

The plea alleged that the campaign appeared to involve commercial use and political branding and sought an investigation into the activities behind it. It also raised concerns over the broader practice of taking oral observations made during judicial proceedings out of context and circulating them online.

The petition was filed before the CJP's protests at Jantar Mantar and the subsequent incidents mentioned in the wider controversy, according to the petitioner.

Centre, MeitY, BCI And CBI Asked To Respond

After a brief hearing, the Supreme Court issued notices to the Centre, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the Bar Council of India and the CBI.

The Chief Justice-led bench fixed September 10, 2026, for the next hearing. The case will be heard alongside another petition concerning the recording and presentation of Supreme Court live-streamed proceedings on social media.

The court is expected to consider both matters together at the next hearing.