Delhi HC Rebukes Lawyer on his Remark, "Women are gateway to hell"

While hearing the case on confinement of girls in a Delhi-based ashram, the Delhi High Court on Monday rebuked a lawyer for saying ‘nari narak ka dwar hai’ (women are the gateway to hell). The bench warned advocate Amol Kokane, that his manner of argument would invite contempt of court action.

The lawyer was representing Virender Dev Dixit who founded the ashrams Adhyatmik Vishwa Vidyalaya where he had allegedly kept abandoned girls and women illegally. Dixit is now facing CBI probe for the same.

The lawyer said in court that, “...according to Sankaracharya, ‘nari narak ka dwar hai’ (women are the gateway to hell).”

This led the bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar to question Kokane about which Sankaracharya is he referring to? To this, Kokane fell short of words.

The court had initially asked him why the parents had only abandoned women and girls at the ashrams. The advocate’s archaic thoughts on women led to buzz in the courtroom. Kokane's remark has drawn criticism from Delhi government’s lawyer Rahul Mehra. Not just this, he also questioned his credibility as an advocate. And further asked for a review of his registration at the bar.

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This was one of the recent past’s most harming comments from a lawyer in a court. It also led the bench to hurriedly conclude the day’s hearing on the matter.

The said ashram is in Rohini from where the Police rescued several girls and women confined illegally in a building. While the CBI has raided many of his ashrams but Dixit is found nowhere. The Delhi HC has already sent out a notice to order his presence in the court.

When in 2018 women are opening up about crimes and cases of discrimination and harassment, here is an advocate who thinks that women are a gateway to hell. And he is not alone in thinking so. More than anything, such phrases when come out in media reflect views of so many people and can easily harm the feminist movement.

Picture Credit- NDTV