Justice Chandru interview: A judge can’t rule on his own case | GR Swaminathan

The Madras High Court, on Monday, July 28, witnessed a highly dramatic exchange when Justice GR Swaminathan openly confronted advocate S. Vanchinathan over allegations of caste and communal bias made against him. During the proceedings, Justice Swaminathan remarked, “You are a comedy piece,” a phrase that quickly caught public attention. In Tamil Nadu’s meme culture and street slang, “comedy piece” is a sharp Tanglish insult, often used to mock someone perceived as making a fool of themselves. The controversy stems from a letter dated June 14, sent by Vanchinathan under the banner of the People’s Rights Protection Centre to the Chief Justice of India and other Supreme Court judges. The letter leveled 15 serious allegations against Justice Swaminathan, accusing him of ideological and caste bias. Vanchinathan was summoned in an open court, and a clarification was sought from him on his allegations. The situation escalated further when eight retired judges of the Madras High Court, led by a former judge of the Madras High Court, issued an appeal and demanded that complaints against sitting judges follow the Supreme Court’s in-house procedure. Justice Swaminathan, during the proceedings, expressed disappointment over retired judges interfering in the judicial process. In this exclusive interview, former Madras High Court judge K Chandru speaks to The News Minute’s Senior News Editor Shabbir Ahmed. Justice Chandru explains why the eight retired judges felt compelled to take a stand and what their intervention means for the integrity of the judiciary.