The Supreme Court on Monday came down strongly on an alleged incident of physical assault inside a courtroom at Delhi’s Tis Hazari Court Complex, with Chief Justice of India Surya Kant making it clear that such behaviour has no place in the justice delivery system. Reacting to the allegations raised by an advocate, the CJI said that “Goonda Raj” was completely unacceptable within court premises.
The issue was mentioned before a Bench led by CJI Surya Kant, which also included Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice N.V. Anjaria. The advocate told the court that he was assaulted on February 7 while appearing before an Additional District Judge at the Tis Hazari Courts. According to him, the complainant’s lawyer, along with several unidentified individuals, allegedly attacked him and the accused inside the courtroom after locking the doors from within.
The advocate claimed that the judge was present at the time of the incident and that court staff were also inside the courtroom when the alleged assault took place. Expressing shock over the allegations, the Chief Justice questioned how such an incident could occur in the presence of a presiding judicial officer.
“How can they misbehave like this? This kind of Goonda Raj is not acceptable to us,” the CJI remarked, underlining the seriousness with which the apex court views any act of violence inside court premises.
The Bench also questioned the advocate on why the matter had not been brought to the notice of the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, who is the administrative head of the Delhi judiciary. CJI Kant asked whether the advocate had raised the issue before the appropriate authority instead of mentioning it directly before the Supreme Court.
When the advocate stated that the police were hesitant to take action and that he was raising the issue as a member of the Supreme Court Bar Association, the Bench advised him to follow the proper administrative route. The court directed the advocate to submit a written complaint to the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, with a copy marked to the Chief Justice of India.
Clarifying its position, the Supreme Court said that the issue should be dealt with on the administrative side rather than through judicial proceedings. The Bench observed that the Delhi High Court Chief Justice should first take cognisance of the complaint and initiate appropriate action based on the facts.
The incident has once again brought attention to concerns over the safety of lawyers inside court complexes, especially in trial courts where tempers can run high. Legal observers have noted that any form of violence within courtrooms undermines the rule of law and erodes public confidence in the justice system.