Jahanvi Agarwal
A senior judge of the Gujarat High Court has extended an apology to his fellow judge, Justice Mauna Bhatt, for a recent incident of discord in the courtroom. Justice Biren Vaishnav, presiding over the bench, initiated the court session on 25th October by expressing his regret for the altercation that occurred during the previous session on 23rd October. The disagreement transpired when Justice Vaishnav was issuing an order that Justice Bhatt did not concur with.
Acknowledging his lapse in judgment, Justice Vaishnav remarked, “I apologize for the incident on Monday, and I acknowledge my error. We can now commence this session with a fresh start.” This gesture of apology was made in the presence of Justice Mauna Bhatt, who serves as the second judge on the division bench.
Although the video recording of the Monday session involving Justices Vaishnav and Bhatt was taken down from the official YouTube page of Gujarat High Court, an unofficial video clip circulating on social media depicted the moment when Justice Bhatt whispered something to Justice Vaishnav as he was delivering the order.
In response, Justice Vaishnav reacted curtly, stating, “If you disagree, then state your disagreement… We’ve had disagreements before, and we can have them again.” Justice Bhatt clarified, “It’s not about disagreement.”
To this, Justice Vaishnav urged, “If that’s the case, please don’t murmur. You can issue a separate order. We won’t address other matters.”
Subsequently, he left the courtroom.