In a rare and stern order, the Gujarat High Court has imposed a fine of ₹2 lakh and directed two weeks of community service on a man who appeared indecently from a lavatory during a virtual court hearing.
The incident occurred during proceedings in Special Civil Application No. 11948 of 2023 — Gujarat State Co-operative Marketing Federation Ltd vs. President Officer & Anr. The case was being heard by Justice M.K. Thakker, who delivered the order on March 5.
The person in question, Dhavalbhai Kanubhai Ambalal Patel, the 42-year-old son of respondent no. 2, joined the virtual court hearing on February 17, 2025, using his father’s name. According to the police report, he joined the session from a lavatory in an indecent manner, got disconnected, and then rejoined twice—once even using the case number “CRA 11948/2023.”
A video of the act later went viral, prompting the court to call for a report from Sola Police Station to identify the individual.
Dhavalbhai, a B.Sc. graduate employed with the Reliance Group, later appeared before the court and expressed regret through his counsel Mr. Amresh N. Patel, who said it was his first time using the High Court’s virtual system and the mistake was unintentional.
However, Justice Thakker rejected the excuse, stating:
“It cannot be accepted from a person like the present, that he was not well-versed with the operation of the applications. The indecent act is not only unacceptable but shameful and is required to be strictly condemned. If courts do not deal with such a person with strong hands, it may result in lowering the dignity of the institution in the eyes of public.”
The court ordered that ₹2,00,000 be deposited within two weeks:
- ₹50,000 to Shishugruh Paldi, a child care home in Ahmedabad, and
- ₹1,50,000 to the Gujarat High Court Legal Aid Services Authority.
In addition, Dhavalbhai Patel has been directed to report daily at 10:00 a.m. to the Special Officer, Dedicated Cell, and clean the High Court gardens for two weeks as part of community service. The Special Officer will oversee the work and submit a report to the court.
The petitioner in the original civil matter, Gujarat State Co-operative Marketing Federation Ltd, was represented by advocate I.G. Joshi.
This case underscores the court’s zero-tolerance approach to misconduct in virtual hearings, emphasizing that decorum must be maintained—online or offline.
