The Supreme Court on Wednesday took strong exception to the conduct of a litigant whose father made a phone call to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant’s brother objecting to an order in a case of fraudulent admission of general category candidates to a PG medical course in a minority-run medical college in Meerut.“You tell us why we should not initiate criminal contempt against the father of your client. Are you aware of what he has done? Should I disclose it in open court?” the CJI — who was leading a three-judge bench — told the petitioner Nikhil Kumar Punia’s advocate.“He calls up my brother and asks him how the Chief Justice of India has passed this order… Will he dictate us? This is his conduct,” a visibly upset CJI Kant told Punia’s counsel at the very outset.“Nobody dares to do this. And you think I will transfer the case because of this? I have dealt with such elements for the last 23 years,” the CJI went on.“I am not aware, Your Lordship. We have not received any report,” the petitioner’s counsel responded.“You verify it. As counsel, you should first consider withdrawing. This is sheer misconduct. Even if he is outside India, I know how to deal with such people,” the CJI told the petitioner’s counsel who profusely apologised to the bench.“I think you (the petitioner) are trying to manipulate matters there as well. This is what you are doing,” the CJI said as it deferred the hearing to next week awaiting the state of Haryana’s compliance with the January 28 order.Directing the Haryana Government to file its compliance with its earlier order, the bench said, “If not, the Chief Secretary of the state of Haryana shall remain personally present in court on the next date.”As upper-caste converts to Buddhism in Haryana sought to take advantage of minority quota for admission to a minority-run medical college, the Supreme Court had on January 28 termed it a “new type of fraud” and asked the Chief Secretary to submit a report in two weeks explaining the procedure for issuing minority certificates.“Wow! This is a new type of fraud,” a bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said while hearing a petition filed by Nikhil Kumar Punia and another — residents of Hisar in Haryana — who sought admission in a Post Graduate medical course under the Buddhist minority quota in Subharti Medical College, Meerut in Uttar Pradesh — a declared Buddhist minority educational institution.Noting that the candidates had applied for in NEET-PG 2025 as general category candidates and had stated that they didn’t belong to the economically weaker sections (EWS), the bench had dismissed the petition.While dismissing Punia’s petition, the top court kept the issue of procedures followed in granting minority certificates for further consideration, awaiting a report from Haryana Chief Secretary.“Let the Chief Secretary of Haryana inform: What are the guidelines for issuing a minority certificate? Is it permissible for an upper-class general category candidate, who is not covered under the Economically Weaker Sections and who had declared himself as ‘general’ in a previous application, to subsequently declare himself as belonging to the Buddhist minority?” the bench asked.It had asked the Haryana Chief Secretary to explain the guidelines for issuing minority certificates and if it was permissible for a general category non-EWS candidate, who in NEET-PG 2025 identified himself as general category, to claim minority status as a Buddhist minority. It sought to know on what basis the SDO issued minority certificates to the petitioners.