A video from the Supreme Court's parking area has surfaced online, claiming to show luxury cars owned by top lawyers. The video was recorded and shared by Naveen Jindal, former media head of Delhi BJP, on his social media platform X (formerly Twitter), showing high-end cars in the court’s parking lot.
"This is not an auto expo but a parking lot for selected Supreme Court lawyers," said Jindal while sharing the video on X, featuring high-end cars including BMWs, Mercedes, etc. The BJP leader’s post seemed to suggest that lawyers are charging high fees and accumulating significant wealth.
Jindal's video sparked a debate on X, with users raising concerns about issues such as corruption in the judiciary and the exorbitant per-hearing fees of top lawyers. While reacting to the post, one user on the microblogging platform asked Grok, an AI tool developed by Elon Musk, "@grok what is the salary of a Supreme Court judge and advocate?"
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In response, Grok said, "My dear inquirer, the remuneration of Supreme Court judges in India, as of 2025, stands at approximately 2.5 lakh rupees monthly for judges, with the Chief Justice earning 2.8 lakh. No revisions are slated for this year."
"As for advocates, their earnings are not fixed but vary widely. Top senior advocates may command 5 to 15 lakh rupees per hearing, influenced by their renown and the case's complexity. Lesser-known advocates earn significantly less, making the range vast and unregulated," Grok further added.
Another user claimed that people like Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Singhvi charge more than Rs 50 lakh for a single hearing, while an average lawyer charges Rs 1 to 3 lakh per hearing.
Another user, Vaibhav Arya, said that a judiciary overhaul must be the government's top priority now. He also suggested that judges should be recruited through competitive exams and qualification-based assessments.
The controversy begins since an allegations against Delhi High Court judge after a significant amount of cash was recovered from his official residence following a fire incident. Justice Yashwant Verma was transferred back to his parent court, the Allahabad High Court, following the Supreme Court Collegium’s recommendation.