Today, the Gujarat High Court decided to close the contempt proceedings against senior advocate Bhaskar Tanna, who was seen sipping beer during a virtual court hearing last month.

A bench of Justices AS Supehia and RT Vachhani accepted Tanna’s unconditional apology and said the act, though contemptuous on the face of it, was not deliberate.

Tanna had appeared before Justice Sandeep Bhatt on June 26 during a virtual hearing when a video surfaced showing him sipping beer from a mug. The clip quickly went viral, prompting the High Court to take suo motu cognisance and initiate contempt proceedings on July 1.

However, when the matter came up for hearing, Tanna told the court that it was a mistake. He said he had pressed the wrong button while trying to exit the video call, which accidentally made him visible on screen.

“I unconditionally apologise. It was an error. My reflexes are not as fast anymore. I thought I had exited the hearing but pressed the wrong button,” Tanna said, acknowledging full responsibility for the lapse. “If the court feels I must be punished, I will accept that. But I only request that the court may not assume any intent to disrespect.”

Tanna, who has been practicing law for over five decades and was designated as a Senior Advocate in 1995, had also apologised before Justice Bhatt on July 2 — a day after the court initiated the contempt proceedings.

The Division Bench noted that Tanna’s actions stemmed from a genuine mistake, and the report by the court registry also supported this conclusion.

“We accept the unconditional apology tendered by Shri Tanna. He says such an act will not be repeated,” the court said, closing the case.

Tanna, while addressing the Bench, also objected to being compared to a previous incident where someone had appeared in court from a toilet. “It’s not the same. That comparison is unfair,” he said.

The court, satisfied with the explanation and apology, brought the matter to a close, ending the brief controversy that had sparked widespread discussion online.