New Delhi [India], August 14 (ANI): A Delhi court has imposed a penalty on a medical surgeon facing trial in a 2011 murder case for disrupting proceedings by throwing rice in front of the dais in the courtroom. Lawyers present hesitated to present their arguments, suspecting “black magic” by the accused.
Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Shefali Barnala Tandon of the Tis Hazari Court sentenced Dr. Chander Vibhas to imprisonment till the court rose for the day and fined him Rs 2,000, which he deposited the same day.
The incident occurred on August 11, when the court was scheduled to hear Vibhas’s case, registered at Hari Nagar police station. Before proceedings began, court staff and counsel informed the judge that the accused had thrown rice grains on the floor under the dais. Proceedings came to a standstill as advocates refused to continue without first having the premises cleaned.
“This is very shocking and surprising to the court that the present accused, Dr. Chander Vibhas, who is stated to be a surgeon by profession and belonging to the educated and elite class, has acted in such an unreasonable manner and created an interruption in the court proceedings,” the court observed.
The judge noted that the court was constrained to take cognizance of the offence under Section 267 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, as the proceedings were halted for 15–20 minutes. The accused later tendered an apology.
“After considering all the facts and circumstances, including the apology tendered by the accused and his feeling of remorse, he is sentenced to undergo imprisonment till the rising of the court and a fine of Rs 2,000 to be deposited with the state,” the order stated.
When questioned, Vibhas claimed the rice had fallen from his hands, but he could not satisfactorily explain why he was carrying rice into the courtroom. Advocates requested the court to have the rice removed before continuing, citing fears of black magic. A cleaner arrived after 10 minutes to clear the floor.
The court also noted that a similar incident allegedly occurred on August 2, but the judge was on leave that day. (ANI)
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