Kapil Sibal Laughs During Supreme Court Hearing On Kolkata RG Kar Case

West Bengal govt counsel Kapil Sibal's reaction during a recent Supreme Court hearing has sparked controversy after he was seen laughing while Justice Pardiwala raised serious concerns about the handling of the RG Kar Medical College rape and murder case by the West Bengal state machinery.

In a video of the Supreme Court proceedings, shared on X, Sibal's laughter was noticeable as Justice Pardiwala questioned the West Bengal state machinery's management of the case. Justice Pardiwala remarked, "I have never seen the manner in which this case was handled by the West Bengal state machinery in 30 years of my professional life," highlighting his astonishment at the perceived mismanagement.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the CBI, addressing Sibal during the suo motu hearing, urged him to maintain composure, stating, "Somebody has lost their life, at least don't laugh."

The apex court's division bench headed by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud was hearing the matter.

The apex court directed the Kolkata Police officer, who initially recorded the rape-murder case to appear at the next hearing to clarify the timeline of events.

The Supreme Court continues to grill the West Bengal government's handling of the case, specifically questioning the delay in registering the crime as an unnatural death (UD) and the timing of the postmortem.

The bench raised concerns about the sequence of events: "If this is not an unnatural death, why was a postmortem conducted? The postmortem began at 6:10 PM and concluded at 7:10 PM, yet the UD case was only registered at 11:30 PM at Thala police station, with the FIR following at 11:40 PM. It is perplexing that the postmortem was conducted before the UD registration. This discrepancy suggests serious issues with the handling of the case," the bench remarked.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court initiated the suo motu petition to address not only the mishandling of the rape and murder case but also concerns about vandalism at RG Kar Medical College. The Chief Justice of India (CJI) expressed frustration, saying, "We are unable to comprehend how the state was not able to handle the issue of vandalism at the hospital."

Chief Justice DY Chandrachud expressed strong dissatisfaction with the West Bengal government's response to the case, particularly the delays in filing the FIR and other procedural lapses. He noted that current laws fall short in addressing the safety standards required for doctors and medical professionals.

In response to the issues highlighted, the Supreme Court bench constituted a 10-member National Task Force (NTF), consisting of top doctors from across the country. This task force has been charged with developing a national protocol to ensure the safety and well-being of doctors and improve facilities at medical institutions.