Supreme Court refuses to restrain BCI, SCBA from taking action against Mr. ML Sharma

Hearing the petition filed by the Supreme Court Women Lawyers Association (SCWLA) against lawyers who made controversial remarks in the BBC documentary on December 16 gang rape, the Supreme Court yesterday refused to restrain BCI, SCBA from taking action against the lawyers to appear in the BBC Documentary, India’s Daughter.

Advocate ML Sharma, who was the defense lawyer in the December 16 gang rape case and appeared in the BBC Documentary submitted to the Court that as the matter was now being dealt with by the Apex Court itself, BCI and SCBA should not be allowed to take up the matter regarding the same cause. However, the Division Bench consisting of Justices V Gopala Gowda and C Nagappan said, “We will hear you” but did not pass any written order.

On April 20, the Supreme Court had given twoweeks time to Advocate ML Sharma to file his reply to the petition filed by Supreme Court Women Lawyers Association (SCWLA). However, in the last hearing, Mr. Sharma submitted that he respects women and that he was willing for mediation or settlement with representatives of Supreme Court Women Lawyers Association. Moreover, he also denied giving any controversial statements.

Supreme Court Women Lawyers Association in its petition had stated that the remarks made by the lawyers who appeared in the BBC Documentary, India’s Daughter were “inhumane, scandalous, unjustifiable, biased, outrageous, ill-minded” and are a “direct affront to and in violation of the dignity of women.”

The petition also received support from SCBA while the SCWLA had urged the Apex Court to lead from the front in such matters.

You may read more of our coverage on the BBC Documentary here.