In an incident that triggered a wave of shock, ridicule and serious concerns over virtual courtroom etiquette, a man was caught attending a Gujarat High Court hearing while seated on a toilet. The hearing, held via video conferencing on June 20, was presided over by Justice Nirzar S Desai.
The moment unfolded during a matter concerning the quashing of a First Information Report (FIR). The individual, appearing as a respondent in the case—and the original complainant—joined the hearing under the name “Samad Battery.” At first, the man was visible in a close-up frame, wearing a Bluetooth earphone around his neck. But soon after, he repositioned his phone, inadvertently revealing that he was sitting on a toilet.
The footage, shared by legal news portal Bar and Bench, showed the man casually proceeding with his business while connected to the court session. He was seen wiping himself, leaving the washroom, and reappearing moments later in another room, seemingly unfazed by the exposure.
The FIR was ultimately quashed by the court following an amicable settlement between the parties, as per the report.
However, the man’s behaviour drew widespread condemnation online, especially from members of the legal fraternity. Many called for tighter controls on who can attend court proceedings virtually.
“Only lawyers should be allowed to do VC. In case a client wishes to join him, he must join from the lawyer’s chamber. Such incidents invite global shame. Imagine the audacity. Must be punished strictly,” one X user commented.
Another wrote with disbelief, “How much trust he has on his camera placement.” A third user made a pun on the situation, remarking, “Contempt of court in the highest odour—I mean order.”
Meanwhile, some users cracked jokes on the bizarre situation as well. "Next time we might need contempt of commode!" a user remarked.
"Motion denied," another user stated. A section of X users also called the video edited and AI-generated. Moneycontrol.com could not independently verify the authenticity of the incident.
The incident has reignited concerns over appropriate conduct during virtual court proceedings, which have become the norm in many jurisdictions since the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is not the first instance of disregard for courtroom decorum during a video hearing. Earlier this year, in April, the Gujarat High Court imposed a Rs 50,000 fine on a litigant who appeared in a virtual hearing while smoking a cigarette. In March, a Delhi court also summoned a man for being seen smoking during a video appearance.
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