A Delhi court has fined a surgeon facing trial in a 2011 murder case for disrupting court proceedings by allegedly throwing rice on the floor beneath the judge’s dais, causing panic and suspicion of black magic among the legal fraternity present.

The incident occurred at Tis Hazari Court, where Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Shefali Barnala Tandon was scheduled to hear the case of Dr. Chander Vibhas, an accused in a murder registered at Hari Nagar police station. According to reports, before the hearing began on August 11, court staff and advocates informed the judge that Vibhas had thrown rice grains on the courtroom floor.

The unusual act brought proceedings to a halt for nearly 15–20 minutes, as several lawyers hesitated to approach the dais, suspecting it to be an act of black magic. The courtroom had to be cleaned before any arguments could resume. The judge noted that a similar incident had reportedly taken place on August 2, but the court had been on leave.

In response to the disruption, Judge Tandon stated, “It is shocking and surprising that the accused, who is a surgeon by profession and from an educated background, acted in such an unreasonable and disruptive manner during court proceedings.” The court took cognizance of the offense under Section 267 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, which deals with causing disturbance during judicial proceedings.

Dr. Vibhas, when questioned, claimed the rice had simply fallen from his hand but was unable to provide a convincing explanation for carrying rice into the courtroom. Despite his apology and expression of remorse, the court sentenced him to imprisonment till the rising of the court and imposed a ₹2,000 fine, which he paid the same day.

The judge remarked that the conduct of the accused was inappropriate and disrupted the dignity of the court. The temporary suspension of court proceedings due to fears of superstition highlights a rare and bizarre courtroom incident involving suspicion of black magic.