Gang rape documentary: SC seeks response from two advocates

The Supreme Court on Monday gave advocates M.L. Sharma and A.P. Singh two weeks' time to respond to a petition by Supreme Court Women Lawyers Association (SCWLA), seeking action against them for allegedly making derogatory remarks against women in the documentary 'India's Daughter'.

The apex court bench of Justice V. Gopala Gowda and Justice C. Nagappan gave two weeks' time to Sharma after he accepted the notice in the court.

The lawyer for the SCWLA told the court at the beginning of the hearing that the two lawyers, Sharma and Singh, were evading the notice.

However, Sharma accepted the notice when he appeared in the court and denied having made any controversial statement to the maker of the documentary on the December 16, 2012 gang rape case.

Having denied making any derogatory statement, Sharma sounded conciliatory saying he was willing to sit and settle the matter with the SCWLA. However, the court told him that "you file your reply" and gave him two weeks for it.

The petitioner SCWLA has sought restrictions on the entry of Sharma and Singh into the Supreme Court premises.

Seeking action against the two, who had also appeared for the accused in the December 16 gang rape case, the women lawyers have sought the protection of their fundamental rights to work with dignity and without gender bias.

Seeking to be shielded from any gender bias, SCWLA in their petition have contended that they have moved the court due to the "ignominy and the direct attack on the dignity of women, especially women lawyers practicing in Supreme Court who have suffered due to the statements made and publicised by two male lawyers" specially Sharma who regularly practices in the Supreme Court.

The women lawyers have described as "inhumane, scandalous, biased, outrageous" the remarks made by the two lawyers in the documentary.