The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought a response from the Central government on a petition seeking a CBI investigation into alleged fake advocates, fraudulent law degrees and activities linked to the satirical online group ‘Cockroach Janta Party’ (CJP).
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana issued notice on the plea filed by advocate Raja Choudhary.
The petition also seeks action against the alleged commercial exploitation and monetisation of oral observations made by judges during Supreme Court proceedings.
The matter stems from proceedings on May 15, when the Court had expressed concerns over the misuse of judicial processes, the conferment of Senior Advocate designations and declining professional standards in the legal profession.
During those proceedings, CJI Surya Kant had used the term “cockroaches” while referring to certain young people who, according to the Court, were unable to find employment in the legal profession and were turning to social media and RTI activism.
The remarks later became widely circulated online. According to the petition, portions of the courtroom exchanges were selectively clipped, turned into memes, mimicked and commercially circulated without the original constitutional and procedural context.
The petitioner has clarified that the plea does not seek to restrict criticism of the judiciary, democratic dissent, satire or free speech protected under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.
Instead, it alleges organised commercial exploitation, trademark appropriation, monetised circulation and algorithm-driven dissemination of oral observations and expressions arising from Supreme Court proceedings.
The plea seeks directions to the competent authorities to examine and take action against persons or entities allegedly involved in the commercial exploitation or unauthorised use of courtroom observations, including activities associated with the ‘Cockroach Janta Party’.
The CJP emerged in May 2026 as a satirical online movement following the Supreme Court proceedings. The group gained significant traction on social media, particularly among young users, and uses political satire to comment on issues including unemployment, institutional accountability and media freedom.
The movement was reportedly started by Dipke, a Boston-based resident. It later organised a protest at Jantar Mantar over the alleged leak of NEET and other examination papers.
The petition also refers to the CJI's subsequent clarification that his “cockroach” remarks were aimed at individuals allegedly entering the legal profession through forged qualifications and fake degrees, and not at unemployed young Indians generally.
The Supreme Court's notice to the Centre comes as the petition seeks a broader inquiry into alleged fake legal qualifications, fraudulent advocates and the activities associated with the online movement.
