CJI B R Gavai said the Supreme Court isn’t swayed by media or YouTube while hearing the ED’s summons to top lawyers. The court took suo motu action to protect legal professionals from investigative overreach.
New Delhi: On July 21, the Supreme Court on Monday heard a case taken up on its own (suo motu) regarding the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summoning two senior advocates—Arvind Datar and Pratap Venugopal—for giving legal opinions to their clients.
The case has raised serious questions about whether investigative agencies can question lawyers simply for doing their professional legal duties.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran was hearing the matter.
During the hearing, Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, informed the court that the issue was taken very seriously at the highest level and necessary directions had been given to the ED.
Mehta told the bench that the ED was advised not to send summons to lawyers who provide legal advice to clients in their professional capacity.
However, he also warned the court about attempts to damage the image of national institutions through misinformation.
He said,
“As far as general observations are concerned, sometimes misconstrued, depending upon individual cases. I am saying this, not the ED, there is a concerted effort to create a narrative against an institution. My lords may find in a few cases where there is overstepping…”
In response to this, CJI Gavai acknowledged that the court has also noticed such actions from the ED in many cases and said,
“We are finding this (overstepping by ED) in many cases, it is not like we are not finding.”
CJI Gavai also made an important remark on how the judiciary remains unaffected by media influence. Referring to public discussions and social media content about such issues, he clarified that judges are not influenced by outside narratives or online platforms.
He said,
“We do not watch news and watch YouTube interviews.”
Further, the Chief Justice added with a bit of humour, explaining that he had been unwell recently, and only managed to relax a little in the past week.
He said,
“Only last week I managed to watch a few movies.”
This statement by CJI Gavai underlines the judiciary’s independence and the bench’s commitment to focusing only on facts and legal principles rather than being swayed by public opinion or online content.
The hearing also reflects the court’s concern about ensuring that lawyers are not unnecessarily targeted by investigative agencies for their professional work.
Click Here to Read More Reports on CJI BR GAVAI
