'I admire the ability...': Justice Chandrachud to lawyer observing Roza

Justice DY Chandrachud, a judge of the Supreme Court of India, has said he admires the "ability to fast for full days without a drop of water" in response to a lawyer's request that a matter he was hearing be listed after the holy month of Ramzan, Live Law reported.

A bench of Justice Chandrachud and Justice MR Shah was hearing a Special Leave Petitions (SLP) arising out of a November 29, 2019, judgment of Allahabad High Court confirming the conviction of the petitioner for murder and the sentence of life imprisonment when the council said he needed time to file some documents and requested for the hearing to be listed after Ramzan.

"Ramzan is going on. The Covid-19 crisis is also going on. Could your Lordships please list this matter after Ramzan? It becomes problematic... I have been waiting the entire day (for the matter to reach)," the council said, according to Live Law.

Following this exchange, the bench allowed the petitioner's counsel to take with him a copy of the juvenility report and inspect it, and also permitted him to file an affidavit in response to the report. The bench further directed that this exercise be carried out within three weeks and listed the SLP on May 10, 2021.

Responding to this, Justice Chandrachud said, "I am sorry. You should have mentioned this in the morning and we could have adjourned the matter. Please go and relax. I admire the ability to fast for whole days without even a drop of water."

During Ramzan, which is celebrated every ninth month of the Islamic calendar, Muslims observe a fast, also known as Roza. They do not eat anything from the time the sun rises to when it sets. Fasting is mandatory for all adult Muslims, unless they are sick, travelling, pregnant, diabetic, elderly, or on their menstrual cycle.