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VP Dhankhar 'appalled' by Kapil Sibal’s description of Kolkata rape-murder case: ‘What a shame!’
Sibal purportedly issued a SCBA resolution that described the Kolkata rape-murder case as a "symptomatic malaise".
Hitting out at Rajya Sabha member Kapil Sibal, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday said he was “appalled, pained and somewhat surprised” that a member of Parliament termed the acts of violence against women a “symptomatic malaise”.
On behalf of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), Sibal had purportedly issued a resolution that described the horrific rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata as "symptomatic malaise" and suggested that such incidents are commonplace, as per ANI.
Sibal was elected as the president of the SCBA in May earlier this year.
“How can one suggest that such incidents are commonplace? What a shame! Words fail me in condemning such a stance,” Dhankhar said at an event, without taking any name.
"It is doing great injustice to such a high position. But I am glad members of the Bar have come in support of our girls and women," he added.
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Condemning the resolution, the Vice President, who also chairs the upper house, alleged that such a stance was taken for “self-interest”.
Kapil Sibal's predecessor hits out
Former SCBA chief Adish C. Aggarwala had accused Kapil Sibal of undermining the gravity of the incident and using his position to influence ongoing investigations.
In a letter addressed to Sibal, Aggarwala said the resolution was unauthorised and was unilaterally issued without the Executive Committee's consent.
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He said the resolution gives the impression of being Sibal's personal view, rather than a collective decision of the SCBA.
"We are not privy to any deliberation of the EC on the said matter which culminated into any such Resolution," Aggarwala said, adding that several other Executive Committee members were equally surprised by the move.
He argued that Sibal's actions have compromised the integrity of the SCBA and could potentially influence the Supreme Court and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the case.
