In an unusual turn of events, proceedings before a single-judge bench of the Gujarat High Court last week were briefly disrupted when a man appeared to be attending the hearing from a toilet.

The incident occurred on June 20 during a virtual hearing before Justice Nirzar S Desai, while the court was hearing a petition to quash an FIR related to a cheque bouncing case (Item Nos. 64-65).

The official YouTube livestream of the proceedings shows the man — who turned out to be the original complainant in the case — getting up and walking out of what appeared to be a bathroom, before rejoining the hearing from another room.

The case pertained to an FIR registered against two individuals under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including Sections 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 117(2) (voluntarily causing grievous hurt), 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), 296 (obscene acts and songs), and 54 (abetment).

The petitioners had approached the High Court seeking to quash the FIR on the ground that the matter had been amicably resolved. The complainant also submitted an affidavit confirming that the dispute had been settled. Taking note of the settlement, the Court quashed the FIR against the applicants.

This is not the first time the Gujarat High Court has witnessed questionable conduct during virtual hearings. Earlier this year, the Court imposed a fine of ₹2 lakh on a man who joined proceedings from a lavatory and directed him to perform community service by cleaning the gardens of the High Court premises for two weeks.

Similarly, in 2020, the Court imposed a cost of ₹10,000 on an advocate found smoking during a video conference hearing, taking serious note of his "irresponsible conduct."

These incidents have raised ongoing concerns about decorum and professionalism during virtual court proceedings, with the judiciary repeatedly urging participants to uphold basic standards of respect for the institution.