In a stunning and rare outburst that has sent ripples across the Indian legal fraternity, the Chief Justice of India (CJI), Justice Suryakant, revealed on Wednesday that his family members are being contacted and questioned regarding court judgments. During a live proceeding in the Supreme Court, the CJI disclosed that his brother had been receiving phone calls from unidentified individuals questioning the merits and rationale of certain judicial orders.

Drama in the Courtroom: The disclosure came while the bench was hearing a significant matter. CJI Suryakant, visibly disturbed, remarked, “It has come to a point where my brother is being called and asked why a particular judgment was delivered. Questions are being raised to him about our decisions.” The Chief Justice emphasized that such actions are a direct attempt to intimidate the judiciary and undermine its institutional independence. He asserted that while judgments are open to legal scrutiny in the courtroom, dragging a judge’s family into the fray is an unpardonable act.

A Threat to Judicial Independence: Legal experts and senior advocates have termed this as a “new low” in the history of the Indian judiciary. The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) expressed deep concern, stating that if the highest office of the judiciary is not safe from such clandestine pressure tactics, it poses a grave threat to the rule of law. This incident has sparked a massive debate on the privacy and security of judges in an era of heightened digital surveillance and political polarization. Authorities are expected to track the origin of these suspicious calls, as the nation watches how the apex court handles this direct challenge to its sanctity.