On May 7, during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) related to the proposed domestic airport in Bilaspur—an infrastructure project pending since 2017—Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha expressed sharp dissatisfaction with the State Government’s stance. Sitting alongside Justice Arvind K Verma, the Chief Justice challenged the State’s demand for yet another feasibility report, questioning the sincerity of the government’s approach.
The PIL seeks urgent establishment of the airport, and the Bench emphasized the need for the State to either move forward with concrete action or allow the matter to be closed. In a moment of visible exasperation, Chief Justice Sinha reportedly uttered, “If there is a will, there is a way. If you want to make a vicious circle out of it, f** off!”*
Video Edited After Upload, Court Yet to Respond
The court proceedings were initially livestreamed on the High Court’s official YouTube channel. However, soon after the hearing, the video was taken down. When re-uploaded later, the footage appeared to be edited—with the remark in question omitted. This has triggered concern over potential sanitization of official records.
Efforts by media outlet Bar & Bench to contact the Registrar General of the Chhattisgarh High Court for an official response went unanswered despite repeated attempts. As of now, no formal clarification has been issued by the judiciary.
Judicial Conduct and Public Perception in the Spotlight
While judges are expected to maintain dignity and restraint in courtrooms, incidents like these raise broader questions about judicial temperament, transparency, and public trust. The judiciary, especially in an era of open court streaming, is under increasing public scrutiny.
Legal experts have noted that while moments of frustration may be human, the use of expletives during official proceedings is inappropriate and sets a problematic precedent. The absence of immediate institutional response has also led to discussions around judicial accountability mechanisms and the standards expected of constitutional authorities.
The original report and video analysis were first published by legal news platform Bar & Bench.