Karnataka High Court Acts Against Judge for Citing Phantom Rulings

The Karnataka High Court has ordered action against a city civil court judge for falsely citing non-existent Supreme Court rulings in a legal application decision. Concerns over the judge's conduct prompted further investigation. The petitioners argued the lower court rejected their application based on fraudulent citations, possibly influenced by AI tools.

The Karnataka High Court has intervened in a controversial legal proceeding, directing action against a city civil court judge for referencing fictitious Supreme Court rulings. The High Court's order on March 24 flagged serious concerns regarding judicial conduct and urged a thorough investigation.

Justice R Devdas expressed alarm over the judge's citation of two non-existent decisions supposedly from the Apex Court, emphasizing the need for comprehensive scrutiny. Notably, the plaintiffs' senior counsel clarified these decisions were not presented during proceedings, raising questions about the origins of the citations.

The High Court's involvement followed a revision petition contesting the civil court's jurisdiction in a commercial case. Senior Counsel Prabhuling Navadgi argued that the application rejection was improperly based on fabricated judgments. He speculated that AI tools, like ChatGPT, might have produced these fictitious case laws. The High Court's decision also highlighted procedural inconsistencies by the plaintiffs regarding jurisdictional matters.

(With inputs from agencies.)