Litigant Removed from Supreme Court Courtroom After Alleged Misconduct During Hearing Before Justices KV Viswanathan and Alok Aradhe

July 10, 2026 : A dramatic scene unfolded in the Supreme Court on Friday when a litigant appearing in person was forcibly removed from the courtroom after allegedly using abusive language against the Bench and throwing case papers during the hearing of his petition challenging an order of the Allahabad High Court.

The incident occurred before a Division Bench comprising Justice KV Viswanathan and Justice Alok Aradhe. The petitioner, Prabal Pratap, had approached the Supreme Court after the Allahabad High Court dismissed his writ petition challenging the conversion of his application under Section 173(4) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS) into a private complaint.

At the outset of the hearing, the petitioner allegedly adopted an aggressive tone and demanded that the Court direct the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Vikas Nagar, Lucknow. He reportedly stated that he was “ordering” the Supreme Court to issue such directions.

Surprised by the submission, Justice KV Viswanathan asked the petitioner whether he was attempting to direct the Bench. The petitioner responded that he had nothing further to add and that all relevant facts were already on record.

The situation soon escalated when the petitioner allegedly threw a bundle of case papers towards the Bench, causing the documents to scatter across the courtroom. He also allegedly used abusive language against the Chief Justice of India, briefly disrupting the court proceedings.

Supreme Court security personnel immediately intervened, restrained the petitioner and escorted him out of the courtroom, allowing order to be restored. The Bench remained composed throughout the incident and did not react to the litigant’s conduct. After normalcy returned, the Court continued hearing the remaining matters listed for the day.

The incident has once again brought attention to courtroom security in the Supreme Court. A similar episode occurred in October 2025 when an advocate allegedly attempted to throw a shoe towards a Bench headed by the then Chief Justice of India, Justice BR Gavai. Security personnel prevented the act before any harm was caused. The Bar Council of India later suspended the advocate’s licence, while the Supreme Court Bar Association terminated his membership. Justice Gavai, however, subsequently indicated that no further punitive action should be taken against the advocate.