New Delhi, May 30, 2025 

The Supreme Court of India on Thursday issued a stern rebuke to an advocate who filed a police complaint against members of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Election Committee, stating that such actions undermine the sanctity of judicially supervised election processes.

A vacation bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Dipankar Datta directed the advocate, Dr. Mukut Nath Verma, to personally appear before the Court and explain the basis of his complaint filed with the Tilak Marg Police Station. The complaint alleged misconduct by senior members of the SCBA Election Committee in the recently concluded bar association elections.

The bench expressed concern over what it described as a “serious and unwarranted escalation” of an internal institutional matter. “Filing a criminal complaint against members discharging election duties under the authority of the Court sets a troubling precedent,” the bench noted during the hearing.

The SCBA Election Committee, consisting of senior advocates appointed to oversee the 2025 bar elections, was entrusted with ensuring a transparent and impartial process. The Court had earlier acknowledged their role as “officers of trust” acting under judicial supervision.

The complaint against the committee reportedly accuses its members of bias and procedural irregularities in the conduct of the election. However, the Court observed that such grievances, if genuine, should have been addressed through institutional mechanisms or brought before the bench directly — not through criminal proceedings.

The judges emphasized that while criticism and dissent are welcome in any democratic process, bypassing legal decorum by involving law enforcement in bar election matters undermines judicial integrity.

The Court has now summoned Dr. Verma to physically appear at the next hearing, warning that failure to comply could lead to further action. The matter will be taken up again in June.