A widely shared video clip on social media has caused outrage, with senior counsel Bhaskar Tanna seemingly sipping from a beer mug and talking on the phone during a virtual court hearing. The clip, which also showed he was using a holiday-themed backdrop, went viral on all platforms quickly.
Taking the incident seriously, the Gujarat High Court on Tuesday initiated suo motu contempt proceedings against Tanna, terming his actions as ‘outrageous and glaring’. Based on a PTI report, the court asked the registry to file a report to enable further action.
The division bench, consisting of Justices AS Supehia and RT Vachhani, emphasized that Tanna’s actions throughout the virtual hearings “could not be overlooked.” They noted in their order, “A video clip of the High Court proceeding, widely shared on social media, captures his contemptuous conduct of speaking on the mobile phone and also sipping from a beer mug while presiding over the hearing.”
The bench further said, “We order the registry to file suo motu contempt of court against senior counsel Bhaskar Tanna. The registry will file a report before the next date of hearing.”
