The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognizance of viral video clips showing Karnataka High Court judge Vedavyasachar Srishananda making "controversial" statements during the course of hearing cases, which were live streamed. In one of the videos, he was seen referring to a neighborhood in Bengaluru as "Pakistan".
The five-judge bench of the apex court that included Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud has sought a report from the High Court.
"Our attention has been drawn to some comments made by Karnataka High Court judge Justice V Srishananda during the conduct of judicial proceedings. We have asked the AG and SG to assist us. We ask the registrar general of the High Court to submit a report to this court after seeking administrative directions from the Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court. This exercise may be carried out in two weeks," the Supreme Court said.
In another video that has surfaced on social media, the judge is seen making a misogynistic remark involving a woman advocate.
Senior lawyer Indira Jaising shared a video of the livestream on X in which Justice Srishananda was seen reprimanding a woman lawyer for answering a question put to the counsel for the opposite party. "We call upon the Chief Justice of India to take suo moto action agsinst this judge and send him for gender sensitisation training," she wrote on X.
The court noted that it is urgent to ensure that judicial remarks align with the decorum expected in courts of law as social media is actively monitoring and amplifying courtroom proceedings.
Justice Vedavyasachar Srishananda was appointed as Additional Judge of the High Court of Karnataka on May 4, 2020. He became a permanent judge on September 25, 2021. Justice Srishananda enrolled as advocate and practiced in Karnataka's Gadag, his hometown.