Today, On 22nd July, Gujarat High Court slams man for attending virtual hearing from toilet, calling it a serious insult to the institution. Orders Rs.1 lakh fine and community service, saying he was “dragging the High Court to the toilet.”
The Gujarat High Court ordered a man to perform community service and pay a fine of Rs.1 lakh after he attended virtual court proceedings while seated on a toilet.
A Bench comprising Justices AS Supehia and RT Vachhani remarked that the man had brought the court into a toilet, undermining its dignity and authority.
Also Read: Rs 1 Lakh Fine for Attending Court from Toilet: Gujarat HC Slams ‘Contumacious’ Conduct
They stated,
“By taking the instrument or going to a place like a toilet, the institution is dragged into that area, and that hurts. It’s very serious…He is participating in the process; he is dragging the High Court to the toilet.”
Despite this, the court decided to close the case after the man offered an unconditional apology, paid the fine, and agreed to undertake community service.
The court also cautioned him against repeating such behavior in the future, delivering a message to lawyers as well,
“We also order the members of the Bar to tell their clients in advance to present themselves appropriately and display decent behaviour, and also represent themselves not from any public places but from their offices to uphold the dignity and majesty of the court as mentioned in the Gujarat High Court live-streaming rules.”
This ruling followed a suo motu contempt of court case against the individual. In a previous hearing, the court had imposed a fine of Rs.1 lakh due to his conduct.
On this occasion, the Bench learned that the man had settled the fine and suggested he perform community service at an old age home. However, when his lawyer mentioned that he lived in Surat, far from such facilities, the court directed him to complete community service for 15 days at a mental health center instead.
The court ordered that he should engage in community service for at least two hours daily for 15 days.
The superintendent of the relevant institution was instructed to inform the District Legal Services Authority, and the registry was to send the order to the DSLSA in Surat to ensure compliance.
Last month, a video circulated on social media showing the man participating in the Gujarat High Court’s virtual proceedings while on a toilet. The incident occurred on June 20 before Justice Nirzar S Desai.
The video initially showed him logged in as ‘Samad Battery’, wearing a Bluetooth headset. It then revealed him seated on a toilet, cleaning himself, and leaving the washroom before returning to the screen.
According to court records, he was appearing as a respondent in a case seeking to quash a first information report (FIR), where he was the complainant. The court eventually quashed the FIR following an amicable resolution between the parties.