SC declines urgent hearing on plea seeking CBI probe into Cockroach Janata Party

The Supreme Court on Monday declined to urgently hear a petition seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the activities of individuals linked to the social media movement called the “Cockroach Janata Party”. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi, said the matter would be considered in due course and observed that there was no grave urgency requiring immediate listing.

Advocate NK Goswami, appearing through video conferencing, submitted before the court that remarks made during judicial proceedings were allegedly being distorted and that the movement was tarnishing the image of the judiciary. Responding to the submissions, the bench told the counsel, “Don’t take it so sentimentally.” Another advocate appearing in the matter argued that courtroom exchanges could not be commercially exploited and sought a probe into fake law degrees and alleged impersonation within the legal profession.

The petition, filed by advocate Raja Chaudhary through advocate Rajesh Singh Chauhan, sought action against individuals allegedly involved in the commercial exploitation of oral courtroom observations and symbolic expressions connected to Supreme Court proceedings. It also requested a CBI investigation into alleged fake advocates practising law using fraudulent degrees and concerns regarding deterioration of professional standards within the legal profession.

According to the plea, the social media movement known as Cockroach Janata Party emerged after remarks made by the Chief Justice during a hearing on May 15 concerning individuals allegedly using fake degrees to enter professions. The petition stated that the movement was using selective courtroom observations for publicity campaigns, online engagement, satire branding and commercial circulation. The plea further argued that constitutional institutions should not become vulnerable to organised digital campaigns or monetised outrage culture.

The social media page named Cockroach Janata Party was reportedly created on May 16 by Abhijit Deepak. According to information cited in the petition, the page had gained significant online following within days. Separately, police deployment was arranged outside Deepak’s residence in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, as a precautionary measure after the issue began trending widely on social media. Police officials stated that the deployment was intended to prevent crowds from gathering outside the house and denied receiving any official threat information.

The petition also referred to concerns raised regarding alleged commercial use of courtroom observations and sought directions against unauthorised monetisation linked to judicial proceedings. It cited statements attributed to the Bar Council of India chairman claiming that a significant percentage of individuals practising in courts were allegedly using fake qualifications. The Chief Justice had earlier issued a clarification stating that his remarks were directed at individuals allegedly entering professions with fake and bogus degrees and denied that the comments were aimed at the country’s youth.