Disorderly Behaviour Becoming Frequent: Gujarat High Court Initiates Suo Motu Contempt Against Man Captured On VC Seated On Toilet Seat

The Gujarat High Court has initiated suo-motu contempt case against a man who was captured seated on a toilet seat during the court's online proceedings last month. In doing so the court observed that the "infamous video tarnishing the image of this Court" was widely circulated in social media and requires to be "immediately banned and deleted". The court, which in its order took "serious note" of a June 28 news report on the incident, further directed the high court's Registrar, Information Technology to inform on the mechanism to stop contumacious litigants in participating in live-streaming proceedings observing that such uncontrolled behaviour had become frequent. A division bench of Justice A.S. Supehia and Justice R.T. Vachhani in its June 30 order said:“Accordingly, Registry is directed to register suo motu contempt proceedings against the person who is seen in the video upon appropriate verification. A necessary report should be produced before the next date of hearing. The Registrar, Information Technology shall also apprise this Court about the mechanism to stop contumacious litigants in participating in the live streaming proceedings, since it is also noticed by us that such disorderly and uncontrolled behaviour has become frequent”.The purported incident took place while Justice Nirzar S Desai was hearing a case seeking quashing of an FIR for offence of cheque bouncing on June 20 (at items 64-65). The video of the proceedings available on YouTube, thereafter shows the man getting up and moving out of the bathroom; he is subsequently seen sitting in another room.The division bench said that Rule 5(j) of the Gujarat High Court (Live Streaming of Court Proceedings) Rules, 2021 that mandates anyone who participates in the proceedings whether in person or through video conference to "maintain utmost discipline and decorum for upholding the dignity and majesty of the Court". It noted that any participant found misusing the access to the Court for "undue publicity" by the way of live streaming facility may be muted or removed form the virtual hearing or asked to leave the court if present in person.The Court further stipulated, that if the situation requires the presiding Judge may direct "to stop the live streaming" of the proceedings or the particular case for the day. "Such an event will be noted by the assisting personnel for the Court in the Register. Further, as per Sub-Rule (l) , it empowers the Court to initiate proceedings under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 and the other applicable penal laws if any of the violation of the aforementioned Rules is noticed by the Court," the order states. The bench directed the registry to, after registering the contempt proceedings, issue notice to the contemnor as to why he should not be prosecuted and punished for committing Contempt of Court.The Court then listed the suo motu proceedings after two weeks.Case Title: Suo Motu vs Samad Abdul Rehman ShahCase Number: Cr.MA No. 12821 of 2025Click Here To Read/Download Order Citation: 2025 LiveLaw (Guj) 94

Disorderly Behaviour Becoming Frequent: Gujarat High Court Initiates Suo Motu Contempt Against Man Captured On VC Seated On Toilet Seat

Lovina B Thakkar

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