The Supreme Court witnessed a heated exchange Thursday between Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President and senior advocate Vikas Singh over the hearing of a plea seeking land for lawyers’ chambers, with the CJI finally telling the senior counsel that he will not let himself be brow beaten. "Mr Singh, I am the Chief Justice of India. I have been on the bench for long. I have never let myself be brow beaten by Bar members and I will not let it happen in the final two years of my tenure. You will be treated as an ordinary litigant. Please don't force my hand to do something you don't want,” the CJI heading a three-judge bench said. The face-off started with Singh urging the court during mentioning hours to take up the plea urgently for hearing. The SCBA has for long demanded that land measuring 1.33 acre allotted to the Supreme Court behind the petrol pump near ITO on the Ring Road be converted into chamber blocks for lawyers. Singh said the matter was listed six times but was yet to be taken up for hearing and pointed out that he too had mentioned it three times. Indicating that the Bar is ready even for physical protests, the senior counsel said he did not want to take it to the judges’ residence. Responding sternly, the CJI asked Singh, "Is it a way to behave? I will not be cowered down like this. Sit down." As Singh argued further, CJI Chandrachud told him, “Please don't raise your voice. This is not the way to behave as the President of SCBA. You are asking for land allotted to the SC to be given to the Bar. I have made my decision.” The CJI said he will take up the matter on March 17 and that it will not be the first item on board that day. Keeping up the pressure, Singh continued, “Just because the Bar doesn't do anything doesn't mean it should be taken for granted. I feel strongly about this. (For) twenty years lawyers have been waiting to be allotted chambers." A short while later, senior advocates Kapil Sibal and N K Kaul representing the rival sides in petitions arising out of the Maharashtra political crisis, apologised to the CJI for what had happened. Sibal said he was of the view that the Bar should not transgress limits of decorum which is required. Justice P S Narasimha pointed out that the CJI-bench takes up 70-80 mentionings every day. “For these 80 mentionings, when I say alright, I will give you a date in the evening, the staff and I sit through the evening.Then I give a date.” Kaul said, “We feel equally anguished by what happened and hurt.” The CJI thanked them before resuming the hearing.
