A lawyer appearing before the Supreme Court today threatened suicide if his petition in a criminal case was not allowed. The court, furious, ordered him to submit a written apology if he did not want a police case against him and his license suspended.
“How can you threaten the court that you will commit suicide if we don’t allow your prayer? You are a lawyer. We will ask the Bar Council to suspend your license and register an FIR,” said the bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan.
The court asked the lawyer to submit a written apology by March 7 or face consequences.
The lawyer’s suicide threat came in connection with a petition — Ramesh Kumaran and another v. State. The petitioner Ramesh Kumaran, a member of the Bar, appearing on video conference, said if the police case against respondent number 2 is cancelled, he would commit suicide.
“We are shocked to hear this. We expect him to tender an unconditional apology,” the bench said, fixing the nearing on March 7.
The lawyer then abruptly switched off his video link, but later apologised, saying he got “emotional”.
But Justice Oka stuck to the order for a written apology and cautioned him about the consequences of non-compliance.
A similar incident took place last year before a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna, Sanjay Kumar, and R. Mahadevan.
Justice Sanjiv Khanna warned the petitioner that he could not threaten the court. He then suggested the man seek legal aid and counselling, and rejected his petition.
