The Gujarat High Court has taken a strong stance against inappropriate conduct during virtual court proceedings, levying a fine of ₹1 lakh on a man who attended a hearing from a washroom. The incident, which occurred on June 20 during a virtual hearing before Justice Nirzar Desai, involved Abdul Samad, who was seen seated on a toilet while the proceedings were live-streamed.
The video of Samad, logged in as 'Samad Battery' and wearing a Bluetooth headset, quickly went viral, sparking outrage and prompting the court to initiate contempt proceedings. Court records indicated that Samad was present for 74 minutes while visibly in the washroom. He was a respondent in a plea seeking the quashing of an FIR, in which he was also the original complainant.
A division bench of Justice A S Supehia and Justice R T Vacchani imposed the fine, directing Samad to deposit the amount by July 22. Samad's lawyer requested forgiveness, assuring the court that such a mistake would not be repeated. However, the High Court decided to impose the fine to set an example.
The court registry submitted a report stating that Samad was seen attending the proceedings for 74 minutes while visibly sitting in the washroom. The video showed him adjusting the camera to reveal his location. He was also seen cleaning himself and exiting the washroom before reappearing in another room.
This incident is not isolated. In April, the Gujarat High Court fined a litigant ₹50,000 for smoking during a video conference. The High Court also heard a suo motu contempt plea against Senior Advocate Bhaskar Tanna, who apologized for appearing in a virtual proceeding while drinking from a beer mug. The court registry reported that Tanna was connected to the virtual proceedings for 26 minutes on June 26 before Justice Sandeep Bhatt while "seen talking on phone and having a drink in a beer mug". The Division Bench questioned Tanna if “lack of intent could erase a contemptuous act”.
These incidents highlight the ongoing challenges of maintaining decorum in virtual courtrooms. Courts across India have repeatedly issued reminders about appropriate behavior during virtual appearances. The Gujarat High Court's actions serve as a stern warning that such behavior will not be tolerated.
