In a bizarre incident that stunned the Gujarat High Court, a man was fined ₹1 lakh after he attended a virtual court hearing while seated on a toilet and relieving himself—on live video. The man, identified as Samad Abdul Rehman Shah, appeared as a respondent in a case where an FIR was being quashed following a settlement.
A Division Bench of Justices AS Supehia and RT Vachhani termed his conduct “contumacious” and remarked that jail time was also under consideration. “The contemnor has admitted his conduct,” the Bench noted, directing him to deposit ₹1 lakh with the Court registry before the next hearing on July 22.
The shocking visuals, which went viral last month, showed Shah logged in as ‘Samad Battery’, wearing a Bluetooth headset and eventually revealing himself on the toilet. Despite prior orders, the court noted that the Registrar (IT) had failed to suggest measures to prevent such incidents. The Court has sought assistance on policy measures during the next hearing.
