'Lower Your Pitch, Are You Trying To Address The Gallery Outside The Court?' : CJI Pulls Up Lawyer During RG Kar Case Hearing

Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Monday (September 9) pulled up a lawyer for making submissions in an aggressive tone during the hearing of the suo motu case over the rape and murder of RG Kar hospital doctor at Kolkata.

The CJI did not appreciate the conduct of the lawyer, Advocate Koustav Bagchi and asked him to lower his pitch.

The exchange happened shortly after the bench comprising CJI, Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra asked the State of West Bengal to not take any adverse action against protesting doctors if they resumed their duties by tomorrow 5 PM. Sibal undertook that no adverse action would be taken. At this point, Bagchi interjected to make certain submissions.

Referring to Bagchi, Sibal said, "This gentleman before your lords, I have videos and photographs of him throwing stones (at protests)."

As the bench recorded the statement of Sibal that no adverse action would be taken against doctors, Bagchi took objection to Sibal's remark against him.

When Bagchi raised his voice, CJI said : "Are you trying to address the gallery outside the court? I have been noticing your demeanour for the last two hours."

"Can you first lower your pitch?," CJI told Bagchi. When he continued making submissions, CJI said, "One second.  Listen to the Chief Justice, don't raise your voice. Lower your pitch. Second, you are addressing three judges in front of you, not the large audience which is watching these proceedings in the video conferencing platform," the Chief Justice added.

The lawyer then expressed an apology.

CJI said that the Court cannot start recording every police officer's statement and can record only the statement of Sibal, who is representing the State.

Also from today's hearing :

RG Kar Case| 'If This Document Is Missing, Something Is Amiss' : Supreme Court Asks West Bengal Police To Produce Postmortem 'Challan'

RG Kar Case | 'Protest Can't Be At Cost Of Duty' : Supreme Court Asks Doctors In West Bengal To Return To Work