India's second-highest court — where billion-dollar disputes are settled — cannot secure an LPG cylinder to heat dal. The lawyers who argue constitutional rights for a living now queue for fruit chaat.
When the Strait of Hormuz shut down after the US-Israel-Iran conflict, India's LPG imports collapsed overnight. The Delhi High Court lawyers' canteen, which runs on cylinder supply rather than piped gas, promptly suspended all main course items — biryani, dal makhani, shahi paneer, gone. A notice informed lawyers that sandwiches, salads, and fruit chaat would be available instead, with no timeline for restoration. The Supreme Court canteen, connected to piped gas, continued serving hot meals uninterrupted. So the hierarchy is clear: constitutional supremacy extends to lunch menus. Lawyers arguing multi-crore cases now break for cucumber sandwiches, like they're at a colonial-era cricket match rather than the temple of Indian justice.