Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud on Monday admonished a lawyer, asking him to lower his voice during a Supreme Court hearing. The incident occurred while the bench, which included Justices Manoj Misra and JB Pardiwala, was hearing the case involving the rape and murder of a Kolkata doctor.
The crime, which took place on August 9 in a seminar hall at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, has triggered nationwide protests.
During the hearing, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the West Bengal government, informed the court that he had videos and photographs showing the lawyer throwing stones during a protest related to the case, according to NDTV.
In response, lawyer Kaustav Bagchi, also a BJP leader, questioned how a senior counsel like Sibal could make such statements in court.
The Chief Justice then intervened, asking, “Are you trying to address the audience outside the court? I have been observing your behavior for the last two hours.”
He further urged Bagchi to lower his voice, saying, “Can you lower your pitch? Listen to the Chief Justice. You’re speaking to three judges, not a large audience watching through the video conferencing platform,” as quoted by NDTV.
Bagchi subsequently apologized to the court.
During the proceedings, the Chief Justice expressed his displeasure, remarking, “I am not accustomed to this style of advocacy where 7-8 people are speaking at the same time.”
The Supreme Court also addressed the ongoing doctors’ protest in response to the Kolkata case. Referring to the strike, CJI Chandrachud emphasized that protests should not come at the cost of fulfilling their duties. The court, hearing the matter suo moto, noted that if the doctors did not resume work, it could not prevent the West Bengal government from taking disciplinary action.
