Chief Justice of India Surya Kant interacts with persons with disabilities at the Supreme Court, in New Delhi, on August 13, 2026.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Thursday (August 13, 2026) flagged concerns over the misuse of live-streamed court proceedings and the circulation of clips on social media without adequate context. He said that some of his oral remarks in the court had been misquoted and misused with “malicious intent”.
The CJI’s reported reference to “cockroaches” while speaking about holders of fake law degrees during the hearing of a writ petition on May 15, 2026, had sparked a public furore. The remark led to the creation of the online outfit Cockroach Janta Party that spearheaded the recent student protests against examination leaks. The following day, the Chief Justice had issued a clarification stating that sections of the media had misquoted him and that he had the “greatest concern and respect” for the country’s youth.
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“My comment was misused… What was not said is presented as though it was said. This is extremely unfortunate. Particularly, it is a major malicious attempt to mislead the youth of the country,” the CJI said in an interview with DD News.
He urged the media to exercise responsibility while reporting on judicial proceedings to help maintain harmony in society. “You are in print media or any [form of media], or you are simply a citizen. Whoever you are, all of us have responsibilities. All of us should make tireless efforts to maintain harmony in society,” he said.
Also Read | News outlets can report courts, but cannot ‘utilise’ audio-video clips of proceedings: Supreme Court order
Referring to the Supreme Court’s July 24 interim order barring the unauthorised dissemination, reposting, uploading, and monetisation of audio and video recordings of judicial proceedings on social media and other digital platforms, the CJI said transparency in judicial proceedings was necessary but should not result in their commercial exploitation.
“We are committed to bringing transparency into the judiciary. There should be transparency. As a further step in this direction, we started live streaming in the Supreme Court. But live-streaming should not be misused. Particularly, it should not be misused commercially. People misuse small clips for their personal gain, for commercial gain. That should stop,” he said.
Also Read | Supreme Court moots protocol to access court’s livestream archives
‘Clips taken out of context’
The CJI expressed concern over short clips being circulated on social media without the context in which a judge’s remarks were made.
“Small clips and certain words of judges have been taken out without explaining the background.. in what atmosphere, in what context those words were used…. without even using the complete sentences, they have been misused. Such instances have come before us,” he added.
The top court had last month indicated that it would frame a protocol requiring users seeking to post or circulate live-streamed judicial proceedings from the Supreme Court and High Courts to access the audio-visual content only through the courts’ archives. The CJI had reiterated in open court that live-streamed proceedings could not be subjected to “misuse” or “commercial exploitation”.
However, activists have sought modification of the court’s July 24 interim order barring the circulation of live-streamed proceedings on social media and digital platforms. They have argued that open access to court proceedings promotes transparency, keeps the judicial process accountable to the public, and acts as a safeguard against arbitrariness.
Published – August 14, 2026 12:34 am IST
