On Monday, the Supreme Court stayed the Delhi High Court order suspending the life sentence of former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, while sharply calling out online campaigns targeting High Court judges. The intervention matters beyond the bail question, as the Chief Justice of India issued a stern warning against turning judicial decisions into street-level or social media trials.
The controversy arose after the Delhi High Court suspended Sengar’s life sentence and granted him bail, prompting widespread outrage online, including personal attacks against the judges who passed the order. During the Supreme Court hearing, senior counsel appearing for Sengar flagged that judges Justice Subramanian Prasad and Justice Harish Vaidyanathan were being named and targeted on social media, with calls circulating to “identify” them. Counsel described this trend as deeply troubling and bordering on contempt, arguing that judicial orders must be challenged through legal remedies, not public vilification.
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant expressed concern over attempts to browbeat the judiciary through online outrage, remarking that such conduct was “very unfortunate” and driven by political motives. Emphasising the constitutional process, the Bench cautioned, “You cannot bring all this to the streets. Argue inside the court, not outside.” The Court emphasised that judges cannot be subjected to public campaigns for performing their judicial functions. Consequently, while addressing the larger issue of decorum and institutional respect, the Apex Court stayed the Delhi High Court’s order granting bail to Sengar, restoring the life sentence for the time being.
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