Man Attends Gujarat HC Virtual Hearing From Toilet Seat, Video Goes Viral
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The footage goes on to show him wiping himself before exiting the bathroom.
Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, virtual meetings have become part of everyday life, blurring the lines between personal and professional spaces. Attending video calls from bedrooms or multitasking during online meetings is no longer unusual. While audio-only participation may go unnoticed, visuals in video calls often raise questions of decorum — especially in formal settings, such as a courtroom.
In a recent incident that has sparked widespread outrage and disbelief, a man was seen attending virtual proceedings of the Gujarat High Court while seated on a toilet and apparently relieving himself. The moment was captured on camera and the video has since gone viral on social media.
— sanjoy ghose (@advsanjoy) June 27, 2025
The incident took place on June 20 before the Bench of Justice Nirzar S Desai.
In the viral video, the individual logged into the virtual court session under the name 'Samad Battery" and was seen wearing a Bluetooth earphone around his neck. As the hearing commenced, he initially placed his phone at a distance, which eventually revealed that he was sitting on a toilet. The footage goes on to show him wiping himself before exiting the bathroom. He briefly disappears from view before reappearing in another room.
According to Bar & Bench, the man had joined the proceedings as a respondent in a petition seeking the quashing of a first information report (FIR). Interestingly, he was also the original complainant in the criminal matter. After both parties informed the Court that the dispute had been amicably resolved, the FIR was subsequently quashed.
However, this isn't the first time inappropriate conduct has occurred during virtual court hearings. Back in April, the Gujarat High Court imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on a litigant who was caught smoking a cigarette while attending the proceedings via video conferencing.
Such incidents during proceedings has led to calls for clearer guidelines and stricter etiquette around virtual court appearances.
First Published:
June 27, 2025, 15:31 IST
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