In an unusual case of virtual court misconduct, the Gujarat High Court on Monday directed a man to deposit ₹1 lakh with the court’s registry for attending a live-streamed court hearing while relieving himself on a toilet seat. The court noted the man’s readiness to offer an unconditional apology.
The incident took place on June 20, during a hearing before Justice Nirzar S Desai, when the man, Samad Abdul Rehman Shah, joined the virtual proceedings from a toilet. A clip of the livestream later went viral, prompting the High Court to initiate suo motu contempt proceedings.
On July 15, a division bench comprising Justices A.S. Supehia and R.T. Vachhani heard the contempt matter and directed Shah to deposit ₹1 lakh by July 22, the next date of hearing. “The contemnor has admitted to his conduct… and submitted that he was ready to tender an unconditional apology. Thus, at this stage, we direct the contemnor to deposit ₹1 lakh before the registry,” the court stated.
According to the court’s internal report, Shah remained online for 74 minutes, during which he was visibly seated on a toilet and relieving himself, before later returning to the hearing from a different location. His lawyer acknowledged advising Shah to appear decently and stated that Shah was ready to apologise unconditionally.
The viral video of the incident triggered public outrage and prompted the court to order its immediate removal and impose a ban on further circulation, citing harm to the dignity of the judiciary.
The virtual hearing pertained to a petition filed by two accused in an assault case, seeking quashing of the FIR. Shah, the complainant and a resident of Kim village in Surat, expressed no objection, leading the judge to approve the petition.
The Gujarat High Court has allowed virtual participation in court proceedings since the COVID-19 pandemic, with many sessions being live-streamed on YouTube.
