A courtroom protest at the Allahabad High Court in Prayagraj turned chaotic on Wednesday, October 28, with lawyers raising slogans and allegedly throwing furniture and other objects towards the judge’s dais.
The protest targeted Justice Ajay Bhanot, a day after the Allahabad High Court Bar Association threatened to boycott his court over allegations of misconduct towards an advocate during court proceedings.
Videos circulating online showed lawyers gathering outside the courtroom, where Justice Bhanot was sitting with Justice Divesh Chandra Samant. Reports also claimed that a shoe was thrown towards the judge, although Bar & Bench said it could not independently verify that claim
The controversy centres on an incident that allegedly occurred during proceedings on October 27.
In a letter to the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court, the Bar Association claimed that a police officer holding the rank of Superintendent of Police was seated in a row generally reserved for lawyers.
According to the association, an advocate asked the officer to move further back. The Additional Government Advocate allegedly objected to the lawyer's intervention and complained about him to Justice Bhanot when the judge entered the courtroom.
The Bar Association alleged that the judge threatened to send the advocate to jail and subsequently compelled him to apologise to the police officer.
These are allegations made by the Bar Association and should not be treated as independently established findings.
The Bar Association objected to the reported courtroom seating arrangement, under which a separate chair was allegedly being placed for police officers and other senior officials.
It argued that the incident affected the dignity of advocates and urged the Chief Justice to intervene.
The association also alleged that Justice Bhanot had ridiculed senior advocate V.P. Srivastava during the exchange.
In its letter, the Bar Association warned that its members would boycott Justice Bhanot's court if appropriate action was not taken.
The disagreement escalated on Wednesday, when advocates assembled outside the courtroom and raised slogans against the judge. Videos shared from the premises showed disorder, with furniture and other items allegedly being thrown.
The reported incident has raised questions about courtroom decorum, the handling of disputes between judges and lawyers, and the need for institutional mechanisms to address grievances within the judiciary.
The sequence of events, including the allegations against the judge and the conduct of protesters, should be assessed separately. A complaint by a Bar Association does not by itself establish misconduct, just as a protest does not establish the merits of the underlying grievance.