Over 8,600 Complaints Filed Against Judges In 10 Years; Shows Data

The Supreme Court on Thursday took a strong stand against the NCERT Class VIII Social Science textbook for mentioning “corruption in the judiciary,” calling the references unacceptable and issuing a complete ban on the book.

A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant demanded accountability from both the federal government and NCERT, warning, “We need to identify who is responsible… heads must roll.” While the ban has grabbed headlines, legal experts argue that the episode has reopened a wider debate about transparency in handling judicial misconduct.

Complaints Against Judges: Numbers on the Rise

Data presented in Parliament shows that more than 8,600 complaints were filed against judges from 2016 to 2025. The number of complaints peaked in 2024 with 1,170, followed closely by 1,102 in 2025. The lowest recorded complaints were in 2020, totalling 518.

How complaints are addressed:

Complaints against Supreme Court judges or Chief Justices of High Courts are handled by the Chief Justice of India.
High Court judges’ complaints are reviewed by the Chief Justice of that High Court.
District and lower court complaints fall under the disciplinary authority of the state High Court.

An internal investigation follows receipt of any complaint. If misconduct is deemed severe, the committee may recommend the judge’s resignation or removal.

Notable Judicial Misconduct Cases

Justice Yashwant Varma

In March 2025, Rs 15 crore in cash was found burned in a storeroom at the Delhi residence of Justice Yashwant Varma, then a Delhi High Court judge. Varma denied any connection to the cash. Following a Supreme Court-ordered internal probe, he was recommended for impeachment, which is still under government consideration.

Justice Sharad Kumar Sharma

In August 2025, Sharma recused himself from a case involving Byju’s founder Byju Raveendran, citing pressure from a senior judiciary figure seeking to influence the outcome. The case involved an insolvency petition filed by the National Company Law Tribunal over a Rs 159 crore default. His recusal highlighted potential influence peddling in the judiciary.

RK Mittal

In 2018, RK Mittal, a Railway Claims Tribunal judge, was found to have colluded with lawyers to misappropriate Rs 50 crore intended for accident victims’ compensation. Mittal was dismissed, and in 2025, 24 of his properties were seized by federal authorities.

Soumitra Sen

In 2011, Sen, of the Calcutta High Court, became the first judge in independent India to be impeached by Parliament over misappropriation of Rs 33 lakh. Sen resigned before the impeachment proceedings in the Lok Sabha could conclude and was never prosecuted.

Government and Judiciary: Recurrent Tensions

The Supreme Court has repeatedly clashed with the government on judicial reforms and independence. The 2015 National Judicial Appointment Commission Act, intended to replace the collegium system, was struck down by the Supreme Court in a 4:1 ruling.

More recently, former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar criticised the judiciary’s powers under Article 142, describing them as a “nuclear missile” against democratic institutions. Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju has also publicly criticised the judiciary, alleging that retired judges and activists have tried to politicise the system.