New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday, August 11, sought the Centre’s response to a petition seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the activities of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), as well as the exploitation and monetisation of oral remarks made in court during proceedings.
A Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices V Mohana and Joymalya Bagchi issued a notice to the government regarding the petition filed by Supreme Court advocate Raja Choudhary.
The plea stems from the “cockroach” remark made by CJI Kant during court proceedings on May 15, while describing the unemployed youth of the country and expressing concerns regarding fake law degree holders and youth who resorted to RTI (Right to Information) activism.
Although the CJI clarified the next day that his statement was misquoted, the clip went viral, eventually leading to the formation of the CJP. The satirical outfit subsequently organised nationwide protests demanding accountability and called for the resignation of the then Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over NEET paper leaks.
The plea said that the CJI’s metaphorical cockroach reference during impromptu courtroom exchanges was selectively chosen and subjected to mimicry, meme warfare, monetised viral content, and trolling culture. It said the comments were separated from constitutional and procedural context.
“Isolated fragments of oral proceedings are selectively clipped, meme-ified, mimicked, commercially circulated, and transformed into viral digital content detached from constitutional and procedural context,” the petition said.
Advocate Rajesh Singh Chouhan, representing Choudhary, clarified the petition was not attacking free speech, satire, fair criticism, democratic dissent or other constitutionally protected forms of speech. Rather, it was challenging organised commercial exploitation and warping of court hearings into “viral spectacle” on social media.
Notably, the court muted the hearing of Choudhary’s petition, with the proceedings accessible only by entering the Supreme Court and being physically present.
The petition argued that the use of spontaneous metaphorical expressions like “cockroach” was only a reflection of institutional frustration and apprehension regarding the worrisome standards of legal professionals. The plea called for a CBI investigation into the rise of fake law degrees across the country.
Citing Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis, Choudhary said metaphorical references of animals, insects and vermin have always existed in constitutional discussions, literature, political speculations and legal philosophy.
“In The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka used vermin imagery not literally, but symbolically to describe alienation, bureaucratic violence, and institutional absurdity,” said Choudhary.
He claimed that in Indian constitutional discourse, terms like “jungle raj”, “guinea pig”, and “watchdog” have been used to describe governance issues, anxieties, and accountability.
The Supreme Court lawyer went as far as to say that in the age of viral algorithmic media, constitutional governance itself was at stake.
“Issue an appropriate writ, order, or direction directing competent authorities to examine and take action in accordance with law against persons/entities allegedly involved in commercial exploitation, trade mark appropriation, monetised circulation, or unauthorised commercial use of oral courtroom observations and symbolic expressions arising from proceedings before the Supreme Court of India, including activities associated with ‘Cockroach Janta Party’,” the plea said.
This post was last modified on August 11, 2026 3:27 pm