Virtual Court Hearing Turns Awkward: Senior Advocate Caught Sipping Beer

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court has closed contempt proceedings against a senior advocate, who was reportedly caught on camera sipping beer during a virtual court hearing. A Bench of Justices AS Supehia and RT Vachhani noted that while Senior Advocate Bhaskar Tanna's act was contemptuous, it was unintentional and not done on purpose. Though the court decided to let Tanna off with a warning, the people are questioning his act, deeming it against the dignity of the court.

According to the reports of the Bar and Bench, the controversy began on June 26, when a video of Advocate Tanna sipping beer from a mug during a virtual hearing before Justice Sandeep Bhatt went viral. The video drew massive criticism, with many questioning the senior advocate's judgment and professionalism. On July 1, a Bench of Justices AS Supehia and RT Vachhani took suo motu cognisance of the incident and initiated contempt proceedings against Bhaskar Tanna.

However, after considering Advocate Tanna's unconditional apology and explanation, the court decided to close the case. According to the court, the senior lawyer's act was contemptuous, but it was unintentional and not done on purpose. The court noted that he had pressed the wrong button on the video conference platform while trying to exit the virtual court hearing, which led to him being visible on the screen instead of exiting.

The Bench noted, "Shri Tanna has tendered unconditional apology, and the act has occurred due to an error in operating the system. He says he upholds the dignity and majesty of the court, and he has 52 years of practice before this institution and has also been conferred the designation of Senior Advocate since 1995. From the report prepared by the registry and on the overall appreciation of facts, and the reading of affidavit of unconditional apology, we find that the contemptuous act was committed through an error and Shri Tanna had no intention to willfully lower down the majesty of this court."

"We accept the unconditional apology tendered by Shri Tanna. Learned Senior Advocate Tanna says such an act will not be committed in future," the order noted, as per Bar and Bench. 

Notably, Bhaskar Tanna had tendered an unconditional apology to the court, stating that he had no intention to willfully lower the dignity of the court. He explained that he was waiting for his turn to appear in another matter when he pressed the wrong button, which led to him being caught on camera sipping beer. He also apologised to Justice Bhatt before whom the faux pas had happened, expressing regret for his actions.

The court's decision to let Advocate Tanna off with a warning has drawn a mix of reactions. While some have praised the court's decision, others have criticised it, arguing that Tanna's actions were unacceptable and deserved a punishment.

Earlier, in his statement, Advocate Bhaskar Tanna emphasised that he upholds the dignity and majesty of the court and has always conducted himself in a professional manner. He requested the court to pardon him, stating that such errors can happen to anyone and that he would ensure that such an incident does not occur in the future.