Man Attends Gujarat High Court Virtual Hearing from Toilet; Suo Motu Contempt Case Initiated

The Gujarat High Court has initiated suo motu contempt proceedings against a litigant who was seen relieving himself during live-streamed court proceedings.

The high court’s action follows a report published in the Ahmedabad Mirror on June 28, 2025, which highlighted the conduct of one Abdul Samad, a resident of Surat. According to the news article, Samad logged into a virtual hearing presided over by Justice Nirzar Desai while sitting in a toilet. Shockingly, he was captured on live stream in the act of relieving himself, an act that was recorded and widely circulated on social media platforms.

Taking serious note of the incident, a bench comprising Justice A.S. Supehia and Justice R.T. Vachhani observed that such behaviour brings disrepute to the dignity and authority of the court. The judges stressed the importance of maintaining discipline and decorum during court proceedings, whether attended physically or virtually.

Citing Rule 5(j) of the Gujarat High Court (Live Streaming of Court Proceedings) Rules, 2021, the bench noted that all participants are required to uphold the dignity of the court. The rule allows courts to mute or remove participants from virtual hearings if their behaviour is deemed disruptive or disrespectful. The court also referred to Sub-rule (l), which empowers it to initiate contempt of court proceedings or invoke penal laws for violations.

"The infamous video tarnishing the image of this Court is widely circulated on social media, and requires to be immediately banned and deleted," the court noted in its order dated June 30, 2025.

Court has directed the Registry to verify the identity of the individual in the video and register a suo motu contempt case. It also asked the Registrar (Information Technology) to submit a report detailing measures to prevent such indecent and disruptive conduct in future live-streamed proceedings.

Observing that such incidents are becoming alarmingly frequent, the court said that appropriate technological and procedural safeguards must be put in place to curb the misuse of access to online courtrooms.

Following verification, a notice is to be issued to Abdul Samad, asking him to explain why he should not be prosecuted and punished under Section 2(c) of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, which deals with actions that scandalize or lower the authority of the court.

The matter has been listed for further hearing after two weeks.

Download order here