Bombay HC Chief Justice Rebukes Reporters for Wearing Jeans

Ten journalists on Wednesday staged a walkout from Bombay High Court while a divisional bench of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice GS Kulkarni was hearing the matter of the doctors' strike in Maharashtra. Senior court reporters present in the room say that Justice Chellur lost her cool and pulled up two male reporters for wearing T-shirts and jeans to court, asking if it was "Bombay culture".

Several journalists took to Twitter immediately to voice their discontent about what they see as moral policing.

During the hearing, Chief Justice Chellur brought up the matter of how the doctors' strike was being reported in the media.

In particular, she had strong objections to the fact that media outlets were publishing not only the court order, but also questions asked and observations made by the judges during the hearing - a practise as old as time in court reporting. Paraphrasing her, a senior



reporter from Hindustan Times said Justice Chellur told the journalists that one must not write everything that happens during a hearing.

Continuing to express her indignation at journalists, she picked out two male reporters standing near the dais. One was wearing jeans with a T-shirt, while the other wore jeans with a shirt. Singling them out, Justice Chellur took exception to what they were wearing, asking if their dress code was worth appreciating and whether coming to court like that was "Bombay culture."

 

Bombay HC CJ pulls up male reporter for wearing Jeans and T-Shirt during Court proceedings. Asks if this is Mumbai culture ?

She rhetorically directed the question towards BMC's counsel, who replied it was not.

Following this, without saying a word, ten print and TV reporters staged a walkout from the hearing, venting their frustration on social media.