"Court Decorum Should Be Maintained": Gujarat High Court Orders Confiscation Of A Ringing Mobile Phone Till 5 PM

The Gujarat High Court today ordered for the confiscation of a ringing mobile of a man during the court hearing and asked the Registrar General of the Court to not return the mobile till 5 pm today.

Essentially, while the Bench of Chief Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice Ashutosh J. Shastri was hearing a matter, the mobile phone of a man started ringing. He immediately stood up and started proceeding towards the exit gate of the Courtroom. At this moment, CJ Aravind Kumar enquired as to who he was.

Responding to the query of the Bench, an Advocate stood up and apologized before the Court by saying that the man is his client, who had come out for filing of an affidavit and despite his clear instructions, he came inside the Courtroom.

"Is it not on the notice board that the mobile should be switched off? Collect the mobile," CJ Aravind Kumar told the Court master.

Thereafter, CJ Aravind Kumar said to the lawyer:

"You pay. 100 Rupees fine, otherwise I will pay in his name but we should maintain the decorum in the court."

In response to this, the Lawyer said that he had clearly instructed the man to be in the lawyers' chamber after he had filed the affidavit. Further, he informed the bench that he is 58 years old and that he is mentally disturbed as his daughter has been done away with by her in-laws and the matter has been converted to a suicide case.

Against this backdrop, looking at the mental state of the man, CJ Aravind Kumar directed that the mobile be returned to him in the evening and no fine be collected from him.

"From next time anyone who does it, we will have to collect fine. First time 100 rupees, second time 500 rupees and third time 1000 rupees," the Court added.

CJ also told the lawyer that he need not pay a fine this time and the mobile would be with Registrar General and it would be returned at 5 PM.