Chief Justice of the Chhattisgarh High Court uses offensive language during court proceedings.
On May 7, Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha of the Chhattisgarh High Court was heard using profanity during a hearing on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) concerning the long-delayed establishment of a domestic airport in Bilaspur. The case, pending since 2017, was being heard by a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Sinha and Justice Arvind K Verma. The Chief Justice expressed frustration with the State government's repeated delays and questioned the need for another feasibility report. Urging the State to act or allow the PIL to be closed, he remarked, “If there is a will, there is a way. If you want to make a vicious circle out of it, f\*\*\* off!” The court session was live-streamed on YouTube, but the video was later taken down and re-uploaded with the remark removed. Attempts by *Bar & Bench* to contact the High Court’s Registrar General for comment were unsuccessful.
5/20/20252 min read
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On May 7, during a court proceeding, Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha of the Chhattisgarh High Court was reportedly heard using a profanity while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL). The case in question pertained to the long-pending demand for the establishment of a fully operational domestic airport in Bilaspur, a matter that has remained unresolved since 2017.
The hearing was conducted by a Division Bench consisting of Chief Justice Sinha and Justice Arvind K Verma. The PIL sought the State government’s commitment to developing a domestic airport in Bilaspur, a project that has faced numerous delays over the years. During the course of the hearing, the Chief Justice expressed his dissatisfaction with the State government’s continued indecision and bureaucratic hurdles.
The Bench questioned the rationale behind the need for yet another feasibility report, implying that the State appeared to be stalling the process rather than taking decisive action. Chief Justice Sinha indicated that the matter could not remain in limbo indefinitely and that the authorities needed to either proceed with the airport project or let the court close the PIL once and for all.
In a moment of visible frustration over the perceived lack of progress, Chief Justice Sinha was audibly heard making a strong statement. Referring to the State's apparent delays, he remarked, “If there is a will, there is a way. If you want to make a vicious circle out of it, f\*\*\* off!” The outburst appeared to underscore the court’s impatience with the State’s stance on the issue.
The day’s proceedings were being streamed live on the official YouTube channel of the Chhattisgarh High Court, a practice followed for ensuring transparency and public access. However, shortly after the hearing, the recording was removed from the platform. It was later re-uploaded with the portion containing the Chief Justice’s controversial remark edited out.
Efforts to obtain an official response from the High Court regarding the incident proved unsuccessful. The legal news outlet Bar & Bench attempted multiple times to contact the Registrar General of the Chhattisgarh High Court for comment. However, their phone calls reportedly did not go through, and no statement was received at the time of reporting.
The incident has drawn attention due to the nature of the language used in a formal court setting, particularly by a high-ranking judicial officer. It also raises questions about courtroom decorum, transparency in judicial proceedings, and the broader challenges in pushing forward infrastructure projects that have been delayed by administrative and political obstacles.
While there has been no formal communication from the High Court regarding the Chief Justice’s remark or the removal and re-uploading of the court proceedings video, the matter continues to be discussed in legal and public circles, highlighting the growing scrutiny of judicial behavior in the digital age.