On Thursday, 12th March, the Supreme Court rejected a petition filed by a lawyer who had demanded ₹1 crore from the Central government as compensation for filing multiple cases in 2018 that he had argued were intended to “save” the then Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra.
The petition had been filed by a lawyer from Lucknow, Ashok Pandey. He had sought to appeal to the Supreme Court because his payment request had been rejected by the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court.
The matter had been heard by a bench consisting of Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi. While hearing the case, the court made it clear that the petition had no merit.
The bench observed that the plea itself was flawed and dismissed it outright. The court said the request for such a payment was not justified and described the petition as “totally misconceived”.
STORY | SC dismisses plea seeking Rs one crore as fee and expenses for filing cases to "save" former CJI
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 12, 2026
The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a plea filed by an advocate who sought a direction to the Centre to pay him Rs one crore as fee and expenses for filing six cases in… pic.twitter.com/gk1vmrF6Jg
The lawyer claimed he filed cases to defend the CJI
During the hearing, Pandey told the court that he had lodged six separate cases in 2018 with the intention of defending the then-Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra. He said that he wanted to uphold the position and dignity of the Chief Justice of India during that period of controversy.
He further told the court that he had spent about ₹2 lakh of his own money as litigation costs while pursuing those cases. He said that he had even taken money from his own daughter for the purpose of pursuing those cases.
At one point during the hearing, the Chief Justice questioned Pandey’s arguments. “After making left and right all kinds of allegations against judges, why are you using the word honourable now?” the CJI asked.
Pandey referred to the well-known January 2018 press conference held by four senior Supreme Court judges, which had created a major controversy at the time. He told the court, “Judges can’t address a press conference against the chief justice, and this was against the norms.”
Court says social services cannot be measured in Money
Responding to his claims, the Chief Justice said that if the lawyer had taken steps to protect the institution, it should be considered a social service.
“You provided social services to the institution. Social service is always priceless. How can it be assessed at one crore or two crore?” the court observed.
The bench also told him that if he wanted appreciation for his actions, the court was willing to acknowledge it. “You have done social service. If you want appreciation, we appreciate you for that,” the court said.
(Ashok Pandey vs UoI) Supreme Court hears plea by Lucknow-based lawyer, Ashok Pandey, seeking ₹1 crore from the Union Law Ministry, claiming he "saved" former CJI Dipak Misra from humiliation, insult, and removal
— Bar and Bench (@barandbench) March 12, 2026
CJI Surya Kant:After making all nasty allegations against a… pic.twitter.com/eM8giiQZ1Q
Before approaching the Supreme Court, Pandey had filed a similar petition in the Allahabad High Court. In that plea, he had asked the government to reimburse ₹1 crore as his professional fee and litigation expenses for filing the six cases.
However, the High Court dismissed his request in March last year. Pandey had also challenged a July 2024 order issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice, which rejected his claim for payment.
