Surgeon held guilty of indulging in black magic during hearing; sentenced till rising of court

New Delhi: A Delhi Court has held a surgeon guilty of intentional insult to a public servant and interruption of court proceedings by indulging in 'black magic' in the courtroom and sentenced him to imprisonment till rising of the court after he tendered an apology and expressed remorse for his act.

"This is very shocking and surprising that the present accused Dr Chander Vibhas, who is stated to be a surgeon by profession and belonging to educated and elite class, has acted in such unreasonable manner and created interruption in court proceedings,'' Additional Sessions Judge Shefali Barnala Tandon said.

On August 11, 2025, the court was informed by the staff that the accused has thrown some rice under the dais, creating a scare among those present, including the counsel, who suspected it to be ''black magic''.

Upon enquiry, the accused stated that he was having some rice in his hands which have just fallen down. However, he failed to explain as to why he was carrying rice in his hands while entering the court and during the proceedings.  

The judge was constrained to take cognisance of the offence under Section 267 BNS, 2023 against accused Dr Chander Vibhas since proceedings of the court were halted for about 15-20 minutes and the offence was triable by this very court where the same was committed.

"The courtroom is a space where justice is sought and delivered and maintaining its dignity is essential for Rule of Law. Disrespect towards the court or disruption of judicial proceedings sends a damaging public message and such overt act/behaviour of accused today not only disrupted the court proceedings and undermined the judicial process but also threatens the very foundation of our legal system,'' the judge said.

The court pointed out that Section 267 of the BNS was to ensure that the courts can do their work without harassment or disturbance, preserving both the order of proceedings and the authority of law. 

"The act done by the accused, if goes unchecked, will erode the court’s ability to function,'' it said.

The court also relied upon the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013, which prohibited and criminalised such practices.

During the proceedings, the court was also informed that on August 02, 2025, when it was on leave, some rice was also found thrown on the floor. Though the accused claimed he was not physically present on that day, the order sheet, however, revealed otherwise.

The advocates present requested the court to get the rice removed as they hesitated to approach the dias for their matters to be taken up. Accordingly, the court asked the accused to collect the rice from the floor which seemed to have been deliberately thrown by him. A sweeper was also called for cleaning purposes.

As the accused interrupted the court proceedings for 15-20 minutes, the court gave him notice of the offence under Section 267 BNS.

Accused Dr Chander Vibhas pleaded guilty and apologised for his said conduct.

"After considering all the facts and circumstances including apology tendered by the accused and his feeling of remorse, he is sentenced to undergo imprisonment till rising of the court and fine of Rs 2,000 to be deposited with State,'' the court said.