Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the West Bengal government in the Kolkata rape-murder case, on Tuesday urged the Supreme Court to stop live-streaming the proceedings, citing threats to his women colleagues. The request comes in light of the sensitive nature of the case involving the brutal rape and murder of a doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College on August 9.
During the hearing, Sibal expressed concern about the reputational impact on those representing the state, saying, “We are not here for the accused, we represent the state. Yet, our reputations are being damaged overnight due to live-streaming of proceedings in this highly emotive case.” He further revealed that some of his female colleagues were receiving threats, including threats of rape and acid attacks.
Despite these concerns, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud upheld the importance of live-streaming, emphasizing transparency. “We will not stop the live-streaming; it is in the public interest. It’s an open court,” CJI Chandrachud said. However, he assured Sibal that the court would take immediate action if any threats against lawyers materialized. “We will take care of that,” he added.
The court also addressed the issue of the victim’s identity being shared on social media. Photographs of the 31-year-old doctor continue to circulate despite legal protections preventing the disclosure of the victim’s identity. The bench directed Wikipedia to remove any content revealing the victim’s identity and stressed that such actions violate the law.
This hearing follows the tragic incident at RG Kar Medical College, which has led to widespread protests across the country and raised concerns about the safety of healthcare professionals in government hospitals.
