Advocate Mathews J Nedumpara not new to controversies; was awarded 3-month suspended jail term in 2019

Satya Prakash

New Delhi, July 24

Advocate Mathews J Nedumpara, who invited the wrath of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Tuesday during hearing on the NEET-UG 2024 examination, is not new to controversies.

From facing contempt of court proceedings to filing a case in the Delhi High Court against late noted jurist Fali S Nariman seeking him to be disqualified from appearing in the Supreme Court as his son (Justice Rohinton F Nariman) was a judge, Nedumpara has been hitting headlines over the years for not-so-good reasons.

The Supreme Court had on March 27, 2019, awarded him a three-month suspended jail term in 2019 for contempt of court.

Holding Nedumpara guilty of contempt of court, a Bench led by Justice RF Nariman (since retired) had debarred Nedumpara from practising before the Supreme Court for a year.

The top court had kept the three-month jail sentence suspended after he tendered an unconditional apology and undertaking that he would never attempt to browbeat any judge either in the Supreme Court or the Bombay High Court.

Nedumpara had attempted to browbeat judges in a case related to designating advocates as ‘senior advocate’ during hearing of a PIL challenging the system of designation of lawyers as ‘senior advocates’. He had taken the name of late senior advocate Fali S Nariman to allege that relatives of judges were being designated as ‘senior advocates’.

On Tuesday, Nedumpara repeatedly spoke out of turn and interrupted senior advocate Narender Hooda during the hearing on petitions seeking scrapping of the NEET-UG 2024 examination, leading to the CJI warning him of having him removed from the courtroom.

Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta termed his behaviour as “contemptuous”.

“You please sit down. I will have to get you removed from the court… I am warning you,” an angry CJI told Nedumpara.

“If your lordships don’t respect me, I on my own will leave,” Nedumpara said, even as he kept complaining that he was not allowed to speak in the court.

“Please call the security. We will ask him to be removed from the court…You will not speak to the gallery. You will listen to me. I am in-charge of my courtroom,” said the CJI.

As he alleged that the CJI was being unfair to him, Justice Chandrachud said, “Mr Mathews, I will now be constrained to issue something which is very unpleasant. Please keep quiet. Sit down here. If you want to leave, it is your choice.”

Even after the CJI assured him that he would be heard after Hooda completed his arguments,

Nedumpara said the court was ignoring the fact that he was the senior-most among the lawyers present.

“I am in-charge of procedure in this court and I have seen the judiciary for the last 24 years. I will not allow any lawyer to dictate the procedure of the court,” Justice Chandrachud reacted angrily.

“I have seen the judiciary since 1979,” Nedumpara shot back and left the courtroom.

As he returned to the courtroom after a few minutes, he insisted that was treated unfairly even as he said, “I am sorry. I have not done anything wrong.”

Before concluding his arguments for a re-test, Nedumpara said, “I forgive your lordships for the humiliation meted out to me.”