‘Black magic scare’ in Delhi courtroom

It was no ordinary morning at Delhi’s Tis Hazari courts. A murder accused surgeon walked into the courtroom, flung rice on the floor and left advocates wondering if “black magic” had just been performed inside the sanctum sanctorum of justice. For the next 20 minutes, the trial court stood still, its proceedings halted by an act that the judge later called “shocking and surprising”.

The accused, Dr Chander Vibhas, a surgeon by profession, threw rice on August 11 in Judge Shefali Barnala Tandon’s court, sparking hesitation among lawyers who refrained from approaching the dais. The act, the court noted, not only disrupted its work but undermined the very dignity of judicial proceedings.

“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 belongs to the educated and elite class, has acted in such unreasonable manner and created interruption in court proceedings,” the judge remarked.

The court staff immediately ordered the doctor to collect the rice and summoned a sweeper to clean the floor. For 10 minutes, the proceedings remained suspended until the sweeper arrived and order was restored.

When questioned, Dr Vibhas claimed that the rice had “simply fallen” from his hands, but failed to explain why he was carrying it inside the courtroom. The staff pointed out that rice had also been found on the floor on August 2, the last date of hearing, when the doctor was physically present. Though Dr Vibhas claimed he had attended that hearing through videoconferencing, the record confirmed his physical presence.

The court held that the incident fell squarely under Section 267 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, which penalises intentional insult or interruption to a public servant during judicial proceedings.

“Disrespect towards the court or disruption of judicial proceedings sends a damaging public message and such overt act/behaviour of accused today not only disrupted the court proceedings and undermined the judicial process but also threatened the very foundation of our legal system. Section 267 of the BNS exists to ensure that the courts can do their work without harassment or disturbance, preserving both the order of proceedings and the authority of law. The act done by the accused, if it goes unchecked, will erode the court’s ability to function,” Judge Tandon said.

The surgeon later apologised and his lawyer pleaded mercy, arguing he had been misguided by someone else into committing the act. The defence assured the judge that such behaviour would not be repeated.

The court, after taking into account the apology and expression of remorse, pronounced its sentence: “After considering all facts and circumstances, including apology tendered by the accused and his feeling of remorse, he is sentenced to undergo imprisonment till rising of the court and a fine of Rs 2,000 to be deposited with state.”