'Give us a break,' Justice Chandrachud on targetting of judges

A Supreme Court judge, Justice DY Chandrachud on Thursday expressed anguish at the personal attacks against the judges through news items by online portals.

A lawyer mentioned a matter in connection with alleged violence against Christian community before a bench presided over by Justice Chandrachud for urgent hearing.

On this, Justice Chandrachud said he had come across some news saying that the apex court is delaying the hearing on the matter. He said since he had Covid, the matter could be taken up for hearing.

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"I was down with Covid, so the matter could not be taken up….recently I read a news article saying the Supreme Court is delaying the hearing in the matter. Give us a break," he observed.

“There is a limit to how much you can target judges....who is publishing such news," he wondered, adding since one of the judges on the bench was down with Covid, the matter could not be heard.

However, the bench, also comprising Justice Surya Kant, agreed to list the case for hearing.

"Alright, list it. Otherwise, there would again be a news item,” the bench said.

On June 27, the top court had agreed to examine a plea alleging increase in attacks on Christian inseewtitutions and priests across the country on a mentioning made by senior advocate Colin Gonsalves.

The counsel had then claimed that on an average between 40 to 50 violent attacks occurred against Christian institutions and priests every month across the country, as he pressed on implementation of guidelines which were issued by the top court in a 2018 judgment to curb hate crimes. He alleged that in the month of May this year more than 50 cases of violent attacks took place.

Gonsalves sought the implementation of the guidelines issued in the Tehseen Poonawala judgment (2018) and cited that in the judgment, a direction was passed for the appointment of nodal officers, who were to take note of hate crimes and register FIRs across the nation.

Archbishop Of Bangalore Diocese Dr Peter Machado along with the National Solidarity Forum, the Evangelical Fellowship of India had filed the plea in the matter.