On Tuesday, 23rd July, Senior counsel Mathews Nedumpara came under fire from Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud for interfering with the Supreme Court’s hearing on petitions on NEET-UG.
Nedumpara interrupted senior attorney Narender Hooda, who is defending one of the petitioners in the case, as she was laying out her arguments. “I have something to say,” said Nedumpara, cutting short Hooda’s argument. The Chief Justice then intervened and asked Nedumpara to speak after Hooda was done speaking.
To this Nedumpara said that he was the seniormost lawyer in the court and that he had all the rights to speak. “I am the seniormost here,” Nedumpara said.
The Chief Justice on this became enraged and cautioned Nedumpara, saying, “I am warning you. You’re not going to address the gallery. I am the court’s administrator. Call the security… have him removed.”
Court Mei Kalesh!
— Ankur Singh (@iAnkurSingh) July 23, 2024
CJI Chandrachud on NEET hearing called security to remove Petitioner's lawyer Mathews Nedumpara.
Chandrachud : Please call security to have him removed.
Nedumpara: I am leaving your court. Don't disrespect me. pic.twitter.com/jvH2hyvUby
Nedumpara stated that he was leaving anyway and that security need not be called. The Chief Justice said, “You do not have to say that. You can leave. I have seen the judiciary for the last 24 years. I cannot let lawyers dictate procedure in this court.”
Nedumpara stopped the conversation and said, “I have seen it since 1979.”
The Chief Justice told Nedumpara that he could have to issue a direction if he continued his behavior. “I may have to issue something which is not fair. You will not interrupt any other lawyer,” he said to Nedumpara.
The lawyer eventually departed. As reported by NDTV, he returned to the court later. “I apologize. I did not do anything wrong. I was treated unfairly,” the lawyer stated. He then declared he “forgives” the Chief Justice for “insulting” him, using the Biblical expression “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
NTA’s legal representative, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta also criticized Nedumpara’s actions. “This is disdainful,” he declared.
This is not the first time Nedumpara has clashed with Chief Justice Chandrachud in the Supreme Court. Nedumpara disrupted the electoral bonds case hearing in March of this year, even though the Chief Justice had warned him not to.
Nedumpara was told by the Chief Justice not to yell at him. “This is not a Hyde Park corner meeting, you are in the court. If you want to move an application, file an application. You have got my decision as Chief Justice, we are not hearing you. If you want to file an application, move it to the email. That’s the rule in this court.”
In 2019, the Supreme Court accused Nedumpara of contempt of court and sentenced him to three months in jail. The court found him guilty of contempt for using the name of noted jurist Fali S Nariman, the father of then-Supreme Court Justice RF Nariman, to allege that sons and daughters of judges were given priority in awarding senior advocate’ designations, and claiming that he attempted to browbeat the courts.
However, after receiving Nedumpara’s unequivocal repentance, the judge suspended his punishment.
