NEW DELHI: Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud pulled up senior advocate
Mathews Nedumpara
after a heated exchange during a hearing on NEET-UG on Tuesday and ordered security personnel to remove him from the
courtroom
.
According to a video shared by Bar and Bench, the Chief Justice stepped in after Nedumpara, representing one of the petitioners, was interrupted Narender Hooda, also appearing for a petitioner, as he was addressing the bench.
“I have something to say,” said Nedumpara, cutting short Hooda’s argument.
To this, Chief Justice Chandrachud asked him to speak after Hooda completed his argument.
In response to an inquiry from the bench, Mr Nedumpara asserted that he is the most senior among all lawyers present before the court. “I can answer. I am the amicus.”
The Chief Justice retorted, “I have not appointed any amicus.”
The advocate persisted, “If you don’t respect me, I will leave.”
This was followed by a stern response from the Chief Justice. “Mr Nedumpara, I am cautioning you. You will not address the gallery. I am presiding over the court. Please summon security and have him escorted out of the courtroom,” he said.
To this, the
lawyer
replied, “I am leaving. I am going.” The Chief Justice reiterated, “You need not state that, you may leave. I have witnessed the judiciary for the past 24 years. I cannot allow lawyers to dictate proceedings in this court.”
Mr Nedumpara continued, “I have witnessed it since 1979.” The Chief Justice then admonished him that he may have to issue a directive. “I may be compelled to issue something that is not equitable. You will not interrupt any other lawyer,” he said. The lawyer eventually departed. He returned to the court subsequently.
This is not the first instance where Mathews Nedumpara has been reprimanded by the Chief Justice for his conduct in the courtroom. In March this year, during the hearing in the Electoral Bonds case, the lawyer sought to intervene and kept interrupting. At one point, the Chief Justice firmly stated, “Don’t shout at me… This is not a Hyde Park corner meeting, you are in the court. If you wish to move an application, file an application. You have received my decision as Chief Justice, we are not hearing you. If you desire to file an application, submit it via email. That is the rule in this court.”
In its decision, the apex court said the 2024 NEET-UG exam will not be reconducted. But ranks of 13 lakh students will face reshuffle after the top court directed the NTA to revise the results of the NEET-UG 2024 by treating option (4) as the only correct answer to an ‘ambiguous’ question — carrying 4 marks — in the exam.
