Jharkhand High Court launches contempt action after advocate tells judge 'don’t cross the limit'. Video

In the wake of the video, responses from netizens and legal observers ranged from support for the advocate’s boldness.

A video clip showing a heated verbal exchange between an advocate and a judge in Court No. 24 of the Jharkhand High Court, Ranchi, has triggered swift judicial action and renewed debates about the dignity and accountability of India’s legal institutions.

According to an Indian Express report, the incident occurred on October 16, 2025 during proceedings before Justice Rajesh Kumar, when Advocate Mahesh Tewari was concluding his arguments in a case concerning the restoration of electricity services for a client whose power supply had been disconnected over unpaid bills.

The video shows the judge interrupting the advocate and asking sternly, “Is this the way an advocate should argue?” Following that, Tewari responded, “I will argue in my own way.” He was then heard saying, “Don’t cross the limit, the country is burning because of judiciary.”

The exchange escalated further after the judge reportedly asked for the Maharashtra State Bar Council chairman (present in court) to take note of the advocate’s conduct. In response, Tewari approached the bench and insisted on his right to argue freely, repeating, “Don’t cross the limit.”

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— Akhilesh Singh (@akhileshsi1) October 16, 2025

Within hours of the episode going viral, the Jharkhand High Court initiated suo motu contempt of court proceedings against Tewari. A full bench led by Chief Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan, along with Justices Sujit Narayan Prasad, Rongon Mukhopadhyay, Ananda Sen, and Rajesh Shankar, convened and directed the advocate to submit his response within three weeks, according to the media outlet.

In the wake of the video, responses from netizens and legal observers ranged from support for the advocate’s boldness to concerns about courtroom discipline.

One social media user wrote: “Good to see the judiciary being outrightly challenged, public has tolerated a lot of red tape, corruption, zero accountability and VIP culture. It's time for a complete overhaul of judicial systems.” Another added: “I will have to give it to the advocate – very brave guy.” A third commented: “Judge has been set right. These judges deserve this. They’re not gods.”