Supreme Court asks government and CBI to answer petition over commercial use of CJI's remark

In New Delhi, the Supreme Court convened a half-hour session on a public interest litigation that seeks action against the commercial exploitation of CJI Surya Kant's "cockroach" remark. The bench, comprising CJI Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana, heard petitioner-advocate Raja Choudhary, who said the comment was made in the context of addressing fake advocates on May 15. He claimed that edited clips of the remark have proliferated online as memes, generating revenue and undermining judicial dignity.

The petition asks the government and the Central Bureau of Investigation to examine possible trademark infringement, monetised circulation, and unauthorised use of courtroom language, while affirming that fair criticism and satire are permissible. The court directed both the government and the CBI to provide their responses.