Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Thursday (August 13, 2026) flagged concerns over the misuse of live-streamed court proceedings and the circulation of clips on social media without adequate context.
He said that some of his oral remarks in the court had been misquoted and misused with “malicious intent”.
How events unfolded
The remark led to the creation of the online outfit Cockroach Janta Party that spearheaded the recent student protests against examination leaks. “We are committed to bringing transparency into the judiciary. There should be transparency. As a further step in this direction, we started live streaming in the Supreme Court. But live-streaming should not be misused. Particularly, it should not be misused commercially. People misuse small clips for their personal gain, for commercial gain. The CJI expressed concern over short clips being circulated on social media without the context in which a judge’s remarks were made.
Referring to the Supreme Court’s July 24 interim order barring the unauthorised dissemination, reposting, uploading, and monetisation of audio and video recordings of judicial proceedings on social media and other digital platforms, the CJI said transparency in judicial proceedings was necessary but should not result in their commercial exploitation.
The CJI’s reported reference to “cockroaches” while speaking about holders of fake law degrees during the hearing of a writ petition on May 15, 2026, had sparked a public furore. The following day, the Chief Justice had issued a clarification stating that sections of the media had misquoted him and that he had the “greatest concern and respect” for the country’s youth. That should stop,” he said.
