Supreme Court Declines To Reduce Imprisonment Sentence Of Lawyer For Using Abusive Language Against A Female Judge

On June 10, 2025 (Yesterday), the Supreme Court (SC) of India was hearing a plea against the Delhi High Court's order, which upheld a lawyer’s conviction for using abusive language towards a female judge in a challan matter. During the hearing of the challan matter, the lawyer had said, “aise kar dia adjourn matter, aise kese date de di, main keh rha hun, abhi lo matter, order karo abhi” and used vulgar and abusive expletives. The Trial Court convicted him and sentenced 18 months' simple imprisonment under Section 509 (Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 3 months each under Section 189 IPC (Threat of injury to public servant)  and Section 353 IPC (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty). 

The matter was further heard by the Delhi High Court (HC), which upheld the conviction but modified the order on sentence so that all the sentences awarded to the lawyer shall run concurrently. The Delhi HC said, “To take a lenient view in a case like the present, where shameful language was used against a judicial officer, would amount to doing injustice to justice… If such an officer is not able to get adequate justice for herself, it may leave a scar or hurt dignity that cannot be permitted.” Against the HC order, the SC bench consisting of Justice PK Mishra and Justice Manmohan heard the plea. 

During the proceedings yesterday, Justice Manmohan remarked, “Just see the inspection report, the language used- we cannot even say in the open court.” He further added that if stern action is not taken against such abusive behavior, women judicial officers would not be ensured safety even at their workplaces. After hearing the matter, the two-judge bench of the SC declined to reduce the imprisonment sentence to six months and said, “Today, the majority of our officers in Delhi are women. They will not be able to function like this if somebody can get away like this. Think of their state.” The top court granted two weeks to the petitioner to surrender.