The Chief Justice of India’s inaugural visit to Mumbai encountered unexpected protocol issues. The CJI noted the absence of key state officials upon his arrival. He emphasized the importance of inter-institutional respect. The Chief Secretary, Police Chief, and DGP later apologized for the oversight. They also saw off the CJI at the Mumbai airport. The matter was resolved amicably.

MUMBAI: The CJI’s first visit since he took oath was not without bureaucratic and protocol hiccups. He pointed out during his speech that neither the chief secretary nor the DGP or Mumbai police commissioner had turned up when “the Chief Justice of India, who is from Maharashtra, has arrived for the first time…”“…we say there are three pillars of democracy, and they are equal, and every organ of the institution must reciprocate and give respect to other organs. If the chief secretary of the state, DGP, or Mumbai Police Commissioner do not want to come to receive when the Chief Justice of India, who is from Maharashtra, has arrived for the first time, it’s up to them to think about it. I’m not insisting on protocol, but it’s a respect by other organs of the institution to the judiciary. When a chief of an organ of the Constitution is coming for the first time to the state, and when he too belongs to the said state, whether the treatment they gave was right or not, they themselves should think. I don’t want to go much into small things. But I mentioned it because people should know.” All three — the chief secretary, police chief and DGP — later apologised to the CJI for the inadvertent snafu and saw him off at the Mumbai international airport.