Delhi court pulls up special public prosecutor for shouting at judge, throwing files during Delhi riots case trial

A Delhi court recently issued a warning to a Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) appearing in a case related to the Delhi Riots of 2020 for throwing his file and shouting at the court during the examination of a witness in an ongoing trial. [State v. Abdul Sattar].Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala referred the matter to the District & Sessions Judge and the Commissioner of Police for necessary steps to avoid repetition of such a scenario in court.“From the side of this court, a warning is being recorded for ld. SPP to desist from showing any kind of aggression before the court and he is warned to be much careful in maintaining decorum of the court,” the order said..The order went on to record that Special Public Prosecutor Rajeev Krishan Sharma cannot be an exception to the professionalism that is to be maintained before a court of law..In the trial related to injuries caused to a cop during the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act in 2020 at Chand Bagh, the court was recording evidence of a prosecution witness.During the witness examination, the court took exception to the fact that the SPP was asking the witness leading questions and suggesting probable answers. He was warned on two occasions. When the court again took exception to his leading questions to the witness, the SPP started “saying in loud tone and manner that he is not going to examine the evidence”..The court said it was “unfortunate” that instead of realising his mistake, the SPP started shouting at the court itself and threw his file.When the examination was resumed after a while, the court objected to at least six questions posed by the SPP to the witness.As per the record, the court was “compelled” to stop the recording of the statement when the SPP “started shouting that court is adamant not to seek answer from the witness to his questions”.“He was told that he has been given full freedom to dictate his question in his own language and manner, but the court has to record its observation, as per opinion of the court, over which he can not have any say. He continued his aggression to say that this court is biased,” Judge Pramachala said..The judge recorded that he failed to appreciate such conduct of the SPP, and that if he was of the view that observations are not correct, he is always at liberty to seek legal remedies before a higher forum “rather than showing his aggression towards this court and start making blame of being biased”..[Read Order]