The Supreme Court has taken cognizance of allegedly disparaging remarks made against a sitting judge of the Telangana High Court, Justice Moushumi Bhattacharya, and has issued contempt of court notices to three lawyers. The move comes in response to a petition filed in the Supreme Court seeking the transfer of a case from Justice Bhattacharya's court.

The case in question involves the quashing of charges under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy by Justice Bhattacharya. The bench of Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran stated that the allegations made against the judge were "scurrilous and scandalous". The court emphasized the importance of protecting judges from being unfairly targeted, particularly at a time when the judiciary is actively working to safeguard lawyers from unwarranted summons. The bench asserted that it cannot allow judges to be put in the dock.

The Supreme Court has made it clear that both litigants and lawyers are susceptible to contempt of court proceedings if they make unfounded allegations. The notices were issued to the lawyer-petitioner, the advocate who drafted the petition containing the remarks, and the advocate-on-record under whose signature the petition was filed. All three have been directed to appear in court on August 11 to face the contempt proceedings. However, the bench indicated that it would consider genuine apologies if tendered.

This action by the Supreme Court highlights the growing concerns about the treatment of Justice Moushumi Bhattacharya. In June 2025, the Telangana High Court Advocates' Association (THCAA) passed a resolution to abstain from attending Justice Bhattacharya's court, citing instances of alleged insults and a "humiliating attitude" towards lawyers, as well as the imposition of heavy costs on them. The THCAA also appealed to the Acting Chief Justice of Telangana High Court to refrain from assigning any judicial duties to Justice Bhattacharya and further appealed to the President of India and the Chief Justice of India to transfer the judge from the Telangana High Court.

Advocates have alleged that Justice Bhattacharya often looks down on members of the bar and humiliates them for being unprepared or for not speaking proper English. Concerns were raised soon after Justice Bhattacharya's appointment to the Telangana High Court in March 2024, following a transfer from the Calcutta High Court. Prior to her transfer, she was appointed as a judge to the Calcutta High Court in September 2017.

One advocate, Prabhakar Reddy, claimed to be Justice Bhattacharya's "first victim in criminal cases," stating that she directed the High Court's registry to arrange for an advocate from the High Court Legal Services Committee to represent his client after he sought adjournment. The court stated that the excuse given by the counsel for seeking adjournment is irrelevant and unacceptable to the court.

The Supreme Court's intervention underscores the gravity of the situation and sends a strong message that unsubstantiated attacks on the judiciary will not be tolerated.