The Gujarat High Court has Initiated contempt proceedings against senior lawyer Bhaskar Tanna for appearing in a virtual hearing with a beer mug and speaking on the phone, calling it an “outrageous and glaring conduct” in court proceedings.
The Gujarat High Court initiated suo motu contempt proceedings against senior counsel Bhaskar Tanna for his “outrageous and glaring” conduct during a virtual hearing, where he was seen sipping from a beer mug and speaking on the phone.
A division bench comprising Justice A.S. Supehia and Justice R.T. Vachhani indicated that Tanna’s title as senior counsel should be revoked due to his behavior, but further action will be determined after the case is heard.
The incident took place on June 25 before a bench led by Justice Sandeep Bhatt, and a video clip of the event went viral on social media shortly thereafter.
Justice Supehia noted,
“A video clip of high court proceedings widely circulated in social media shows his contemptuous behaviour of talking on the phone and also having a drink in a beer mug while attending the hearing,”
The court emphasized that Tanna’s “outrageous and glaring” actions have significant implications, and ignoring them would undermine the rule of law.
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The bench stated,
“We direct the registry to initiate suo motu contempt of court proceedings against senior counsel Bhaskar Tanna. The registry will submit a report before the next date of hearing,”
In legal terms, “suo motu” refers to a court taking action on its own accord, without a formal request from another party.
The high court has instructed the registry to issue a notice to Tanna and has prohibited him from appearing virtually in future hearings.
Justice Supehia remarked,
“The demeanour of Tanna defies the privilege of senior counsel conferred upon him by the court. As per our opinion, his title should be withdrawn; however, that will be decided at a later stage,”
The contempt proceedings are set to be heard in two weeks. A disturbing video clip that had circulated a week earlier depicted a man participating in a Gujarat High Court proceeding while sitting on a toilet seat.
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