SC asks Delhi police commissioner to bring lawyer accused of slandering judges
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Delhi police commissioner to ensure the appearance of lawyer Mukut Nath Verma, who has allegedly made “scandalous” allegations against apex court judges and members of the committee set up for conducting the SC Bar Association (SCBA) polls.
SCBA president Vikas Singh and senior lawyer Vijay Hansaria told a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi that the Delhi Police was unable to trace and execute the bailable warrants issued against the lawyer earlier. The court, which was hearing a 2023 petition of the SCBA on reforms in the association, had earlier directed the lawyer to remain present in court on May 29, 2025, and said if he failed to appear, coercive steps would be taken to secure his presence. On May 29 last year, Varma appeared before the court online, but the court said that he should be present in person.
Later, bailable warrants were issued against Varma, but they were returned with a finding that the police could not trace him. Now, the court has directed the commissioner of the Delhi Police to ensure Varma’s presence before it on February 23 by using “lawful coercive measures”.
In the meantime, the court asked SCBA secretary Pragya Baghel to collate the suggestions of the bar body, retired apex court judge L N Rao and Hansaria in a tabular form for passing the necessary directions in another case. Hansaria suggested that the tenure of the elected representative of the SCBA should be two years, as against the existing one year, on the lines of the Supreme Court Advocate-on-Records Association.
The SCBA president suggested that the physical appearances of lawyers before apex court benches be given primacy for enabling them to be voters of the apex bar body and weed out fake ones.
The bench said it will pass directions after taking note of the collated suggestions on the next date of hearing.