The Supreme Court on Monday refused to grant an urgent hearing on petitions seeking a probe into allegations related to fake advocates and activities associated with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the satirical digital movement that has rapidly gained traction on social media.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi told advocate N K Goswami, appearing for one of the petitioners, not to take the matter “so sentimentally”.
The observation came after the lawyer argued that despite the Chief Justice’s earlier clarification, a “distorted and malicious narrative” was still being circulated regarding the controversial “cockroach” remarks made during a previous court hearing.
“Don’t take it so sentimentally,” the CJI remarked during the hearing.
Another advocate informed the court that one of the pleas sought a CBI investigation into allegations of fake law degrees and argued that courtroom exchanges should not be used for commercial purposes.
Responding to the submissions, the CJI said, “There is no such grave urgency. We will see,” indicating that the apex court would examine the pleas in due course.
The petitions also sought action against individuals allegedly using oral courtroom observations for publicity and commercial exploitation.
One of the petitions sought a probe into alleged fake advocates practising law with fraudulent degrees.
The plea also expressed concern over what it described as the misuse of judicial proceedings, claiming that remarks made during court hearings were being turned into publicity campaigns online.
The controversy traces back to comments made by CJI Surya Kant during a May 15 hearing related to the senior designation of a lawyer, where remarks involving “cockroaches” and “parasites” triggered widespread debate online.
On May 16, the Chief Justice issued a strongly worded clarification, saying he was “pained” by reports suggesting that he had insulted the youth of the country.
He clarified that the remarks were specifically aimed at individuals allegedly entering the legal profession using “fake and bogus degrees” and had been “misquoted by a section of the media”.
The episode later gave rise to the Cockroach Janta Party, a satirical online campaign that quickly transformed into a broader digital movement expressing frustration over unemployment, paper leaks and concerns surrounding the education system.
Meanwhile, the Cockroach Janta Party’s website was reportedly taken down on Saturday.
Founder Abhijeet Dipke alleged on X that the government was displaying “dictatorial behaviour” and claimed he had received death threats following the campaign’s rapid rise online.
He also accused authorities of targeting the satirical movement instead of acting against those responsible for alleged examination irregularities.
The platform has amassed more than 22 million followers on Instagram and has gained strong traction among millennials and Gen Z users.
