Gujarat High Court Directs Man Captured On Toilet Seat During VC To Deposit ₹1 Lakh By July 22

The Gujarat High Court on Monday (July 14) directed a man, who was captured seated on a toilet seat during online proceedings last month, to deposit Rs 1 Lakh with the court's registry by July 22. 

A division bench of Justice A.S. Supehia and Justice R.T. Vachhani while dictating its order said:

"Pursuant to the order dated June 30 the registry has placed the report on record. The report revealed that the contemnor joined virtual proceeding in the court of Justice Nirzar Desai on June 20. The user log shows that participant 'Samad Battery' had joined the meeting for a total duration of 74 minutes. The report further refers that in the live streaming video the participant is sitting in toilet and relieving himself...the entire details of duration of live streaming video has been reported" 

When matter was taken up, the counsel appearing for the contemnor submitted that he would be tendering an unconditional apology.

On the court's query, the counsel who had appeared for the contemnor in the quashing case before the single judge, submitted that the contemnor had been advised to behave and present himself in an appropriate matter.

"The contemnor has admitted about his conduct during the live streaming proceedings. Thus at this stage, we direct contemnor to deposit Rs 1 Lakh with registry, before next date of hearing," the Court said. 

During the hearing the matter was passed over after the court noted that the Registrar, Information Technology had not apprised the court regarding the mechanism to deal with contamacious litigants during online proceedings.

When the concerned officer appeared, the court was informed that they are in the process of framing the appropriate submissions regarding the issue. 

The court thereafter told the contemnor's counsel that he has to deposit Rs 1 Lakh by July 22. "We are keeping on 22nd, it would not end here. There would be further directions also," the court orally said. 

The court had on June 30 initiated suo-motu contempt case against the man. In doing so, it had 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 apprise the high court about the mechanism to stop contumacious litigants in participating in the live streaming proceedings, after noting that "such disorderly and uncontrolled behaviour has become frequent”.

The matter is next listed on July 22. 

Case Title: Suo Motu vs Samad Abdul Rehman Shah

Case Number: Cr.MA No. 12821 of 2025