CJI Gavai: We don’t follow news, YouTube.

New Delhi

During a Supreme Court hearing on Monday, Chief Justice of India (CJI) B R Gavai clarified that the judiciary is not influenced by media or online content. This came in response to a remark urging the Court not to be swayed by negative narratives against the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The bench, comprising CJI Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran, was hearing a suo motu case regarding the ED issuing summons to senior advocates Arvind Datar and Pratap Venugopal for providing legal opinions to clients.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, acknowledged that the issue had been addressed at the highest level, and the ED had been advised not to send such notices to lawyers simply for rendering legal advice.

He also raised concerns about efforts to damage the reputation of institutions like the ED through selective narratives. There appears to be a deliberate attempt to discredit institutions, Mehta said.

In response, CJI Gavai stated, We are aware of instances where the ED has overstepped. It’s not as if we don’t see it. He also remarked, We don’t watch news or YouTube interviews. In fact, I only managed to watch a few movies last week, indicating the Court’s independence from public or media influence.

The statement emphasized the judiciary’s commitment to remaining unbiased and focused solely on facts and the law, despite any external narratives or media commentary.