Today, the Supreme Court expressed strong disapproval regarding a controversial remark made by Karnataka High Court judge Justice V. Srishananda, who referred to a specific locality in Bengaluru as 'Pakistan.'

A five-judge Bench, comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, Surya Kant, and Hrishikesh Roy, issued a stern warning to judges and lawyers. They emphasized the importance of ensuring that personal biases do not influence their professional responsibilities while performing their duties.

"We can't call any part of the territory of India as Pakistan because that fundamentally is contrary to the territorial integrity of the nation," the Bench said.

Nevertheless, the Bench concluded the suo motu proceedings it had initiated regarding the matter after acknowledging that the High Court judge had apologized for his remarks. However, the apex court did not hesitate to express its concerns about the implications of such statements.

"This casual observation may indicate personal biases, especially when perceived to be directed at a certain gender or community. Thus one must be wary of making patriarchal or misogynistic comments. We express our serious concern about observations on a certain gender or a community and such observations are liable to be construed in a negative light. We hope and trust that responsibilities entrusted on all stakeholders are discharged without bias and caution," the top court said.

The Court stated that in the age of social media, any comments made by judges can have far-reaching consequences. Therefore, judges must be mindful of their biases to ensure they administer justice impartially.

The Bench emphasized that it is important for all stakeholders to recognize that the only values that should guide judicial decision-making are those enshrined in the Constitution.

Two videos featuring Justice Srishananda recently went viral on social media. In one clip, he referred to a Muslim-majority neighborhood in West Bengaluru as 'Pakistan.' In another, he humorously reprimanded a female lawyer for responding to a question directed at the opposing counsel, jokingly suggesting that she might even disclose the color of his undergarments.

In light of these controversial remarks, the Supreme Court took suo motu cognizance of the situation and requested a report from the Karnataka High Court Registrar General. Following this, the judge issued an apology.

During today's hearing, Attorney General R. Venkataramani requested that the matter be addressed in chambers, while Solicitor General Tushar Mehta remarked that the issue "may not be stretched" given the judge's apology. Ultimately, the Court decided to close the case after making pointed observations regarding the conduct expected from judges.