The Bar Council of India (BCI) has issued showcause notices to two lawyers, who had allegedly made derogatory anti-women remarks in a BBC documentary on the December 16 gangrape case, on the ground that they appeared objectionable and constituted misconduct on their part.
“We have issued the show cause notices to Ml Sharma and AP Singh for their alleged remarks made in the (BBC) documentary,” BCI chairman Manan Kumar Mishra said.
Mishra said the remarks of the two lawyers, who had represented the accused in the trial court, prima facie appeared to be objectionable and was a misconduct on the lawyers’ part.
He said the Bar would have to see “whether it is misconduct simple or professional misconduct” and then a decision would be taken on the future course of action.
The lawyers’ apex body took the decision around midnight on Friday after its executive committee meeting.
The notices have been issued under a provision of the Advocates Act and their licences to practice may be cancelled if the BCI is not satisfied with their response.
While AP Singh appeared conciliatory saying that he would abide by the decision of the BCI, Ml Sharma maintained that he had not said anything wrong.
Sharma said he was shocked by the BCI’s suo motu decision to issue notice to him and added even if his licence is cancelled, it would make no difference to him. He would continue to help the accused.
Sharma said that the documentary is banned in India and it was a matter of contempt that people have downloaded its contents. In the controversial BBC documentary on the gangrape, Sharma reportedly said such incidents of rape are bound to happen if girls go out without proper security.
Singh on his part said, “My fight is against western culture and not against Indian society.”
BBC, which telecast the documentary in UK earlier this week, has been served a legal notice by the Government even as the Home Minister has ordered an investigation into how the permission was granted to interview rape convict Mukesh Singh in July 2013 and also to fix the responsibility.
the Home Ministry had also asked BBC, External Affairs and Information and Broadcasting Ministries and Department of Information Technology to ensure it is not broadcast anywhere.
BBC is yet to respond to the notice and in utter defiance of Government’s order has not only telecast its documentary in UK but will also go ahead with its decision to air it in the USA on Monday.