Viral Video: Judge Asks Bihar Officer, "Came In Through Reservation?"

Days after a video of him roasting the Bihar Police for demolishing the house of a woman with Uttar Pradesh-inspired bulldozer action went viral, another comment by the same judge of the Patna High Court has drawn attention on social media.

In a clip from the live stream of the court from November 23 that is now being shared widely, Justice Sandeep Kumar asks a government official if he got the job through reservation, triggering laughter from lawyers and those present.

The court was hearing a case involving one Arvind Kumar Bharti, a district land acquisition officer, who had been asked to appear and explain why he had released compensation to someone even though the plot was locked in a legal face-off, according to legal news website Live Law.

After the hearing, the judge adjourned the case and gave time to file affidavits. Then, Justice Kumar remarked in Hindi, "Bharti ji, reservation par aaye the naukri me kya? (Bhartiji, did you come in through reservation in the job?)"

As the officer leaves the court after replying in the affirmative, the judge can be heard saying, "Samajh gaye naam se (I understood from the name)." He had earlier said the officer appeared to be in deep trouble because of the case.

As Mr Bharti walked out, some of the lawyers laughed and seemingly mocked the officer. "Ab to huzoor samajhiyega baat (Now your lordship will understand the matter)," one lawyer said.

Another added, "Do naukri ki baraabar to hogiya hoga (He must have pocketed enough worth two jobs)."

The judge then added, "Nahi, nahi, yeh sab... kuch nahi hota in logon ka..ye bechara paisa jo kamaya hoga khatam kar diya hoga (No, no, nothing will happen to these people. The poor fellow, whatever he might have earned, he might have finished it)."

Asked about the reservation comment later, Mr Bharti dismissed the comment as one made in a "lighter vein", according to The Indian Express newspaper.