In what might be one of the most bizarre moments to hit a courtroom—virtual or otherwise—the Gujarat High Court didn’t hold back when it came down hard on a man who decided a lavatory was the right place to dial into a hearing.
The individual, 42-year-old Dhaval Kanubhai Patel, found himself slapped with a ₹2 lakh fine for his not-so-civil behavior during a virtual court session held on February 17. As the Court put it, the episode wasn’t just in bad taste—it was a blow to the dignity of the institution.
“If Courts do not deal with such a person with strong hands, then that may result in lowering the dignity of the institution in the eyes of public,” the Court said, firmly unimpressed with Patel’s choice of venue.
The situation spiraled after a video of the incident started doing the rounds online. What began as a name on a Zoom screen—“Kanubhai”—quickly turned into a spectacle. The man appeared in the middle of court proceedings, live from what was clearly a lavatory. He was removed once. Tried to sneak back in again. Still in the bathroom. Booted out again. Then—brazenly—he switched to another case number and rejoined.
By then, the Court had had enough. An inquiry was launched, and the Sola Police were tasked with identifying the bathroom bandit. It didn’t take long for the truth to flush out.
Justice MK Thakker summoned both Patel and his father (a respondent in the case) to appear on March 5. When they did, their counsel attempted to brush it off as a tech blunder—an innocent first-time mishap on the High Court’s website. Patel’s defense? He wasn’t familiar with the Zoom app.
But the Court wasn’t buying that. Patel holds a B.Sc. degree and works with the Reliance Group. Not exactly someone you’d expect to struggle with basic video conferencing. The apology didn’t soften the blow either.
In a strongly worded order, the Court called Patel’s behavior “indecent” and “shameful,” adding that it warranted strict condemnation.
And with that, the ₹2 lakh penalty was handed down. Half of it is to be sent to a child care home—Shishugruh Paldi, Ahmedabad—and the rest to the Gujarat High Court Legal Aid Services.
Moral of the story? If you wouldn’t show up to court in your underwear, maybe don’t Zoom in from the loo either.
