The Supreme Court dismissed a PIL over a protocol lapse during CJI Gavai’s Maharashtra visit, calling it a publicity stunt. The petitioner, a practicing lawyer, was fined ₹7,000 for misusing judicial time.
The Supreme Court of India recently dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that highlighted a protocol mistake during Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai’s visit to Maharashtra earlier this month.
The Court said the petition was filed only to gain cheap publicity, and it fined the petitioner ₹7,000.
On May 18, CJI Gavai was disappointed when top Maharashtra government officials including the Chief Secretary, the Director General of Police, and the Commissioner of Police of Mumbai were not present to welcome him.
This was his first official visit to Maharashtra after becoming the 52nd Chief Justice of India. He had gone to attend a felicitation event organized by the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa.
A lawyer practicing for seven years filed a PIL asking for action against the officials responsible for not being present.
However, the Supreme Court did not entertain the plea and said the matter had already been resolved.
The Bench, led by CJI Gavai and Justice AG Masih, said the issue was too minor and did not need to be taken further.
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CJI Gavai remarked during the hearing,
“This is just publicity interest litigation. You just want to see your name in the newspaper. That’s all. If you thought about the office, you would know that I requested for a quietus to it. This will be dismissed with costs!”
The Court then imposed a cost of ₹7,000 on the petitioner and ordered that this amount should be paid to the Legal Services Authority. The judges said the case was filed only to attract media attention and called it
“a publicity interest litigation and only to gain cheap publicity.”
The Court made it clear that when CJI Gavai first raised the issue, it was not because of personal insult but because of the respect due to the office of the Chief Justice of India.
the Court noted,
“The CJI was not concerned with the treatment given to individuals but was concerned with the dignity of the office as head of one of the wings of democracy,”
The order also mentioned that after CJI Gavai spoke about the protocol lapse, the officials acted quickly to correct their mistake.
All three officers went to Chaitya Bhoomi, where the CJI was paying respect to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
They apologized to him, and even stayed at the airport when he left. The state government and other officials also issued public apologies.
the Court’s order explained,
“Immediately after the speech became viral, all three officers rushed to Chaitya Bhoomi where the CJI had went to pay respects to Dr Ambedkar. All the three officers were at the airport till the CJI left and tendered apology and other officers too tendered apology in public. Still news was published and videos were published expressing the aforesaid. Noticing that the state issue was blown out of proportion the CJI directed to issue a press note urging to give this a quietus and trivial issues should not be blown out of proportion,”
The Bench told the petitioner clearly:
“Do not bring the office of the CJI under unnecessary controversy.”
Interestingly, another Bench of Justices Surya Kant and NK Singh had also questioned the motive behind such PILs just a day earlier. They too believed the petition was only filed for popularity.
Justice Kant asked the petitioner,
“Why do people unnecessarily try to gain cheap popularity? Hon’ble CJI himself said that the matter is being blown out of proportion. There were some lapses…authorities have expressed regret, and CJI accepted it. Do you think CJI stature is measured by this thing?”
This case was first listed before the Bench of Justices Surya Kant and NK Singh, who said it would be heard at 2 PM.
But later it was passed on to the appropriate Bench, which was the CJI-led Bench, and the final order was passed today.
In conclusion, the Court made it clear that filing PILs on trivial issues for the sake of media attention will not be encouraged.
The CJI himself had requested everyone to move on, yet the matter was brought back to Court without any serious legal ground.
The Supreme Court’s firm remarks and imposition of cost underline the need to respect the dignity of constitutional offices without turning them into topics for publicity.
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