New Delhi: Senior Supreme Court lawyer Kapil Sibal on Monday responded to Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar’s criticism of a statement Sibal allegedly issued in his role as the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA). The statement described the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital as a “symptomatic malaise.”
Posting on X, Sibal referred to a Times of India report on the number of sexual assault cases across India from 2017 to 2022, saying that West Bengal, where Kolkata is located, was absent from the list.
“Out of 1551 case of rape/gangrape followed by murder. UP reported maximum cases (280) followed by MP (207), Assam (205), Maharashtra (155) and Karnataka (79). Dhankar Ji: Seen this? Why West Bengal missing? No malaise?” the Rajya Sabha member wrote.
Kapil Sibal, who is representing the West Bengal government in the Supreme Court in the RG Kar case, has come under scrutiny for his recent comments. The Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of the case involving the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
In the controversial resolution, Sibal, a former Congress member, described such incidents as “commonplace,” a statement that provoked a strong reaction from Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar. Last week, Dhankhar, who also serves as the ex-officio Chair of the Rajya Sabha, criticised Sibal for his comments.
“I am appalled, pained, and somewhat surprised that someone in a prominent position within the Supreme Court Bar and a Member of Parliament would act in this manner. To describe such incidents as a ‘symptomatic malaise’ and suggest that they are commonplace is deeply shameful. Words fail me in condemning such a stance, which does a great injustice to the high office held,” Dhankhar said at an event at Delhi University on August 30.