The lawyer was fined by Gujarat High Court for smoking during proceedings (Representational)
Putting up a smokescreen of arguments to defend one's client may be par for the course, but the Gujarat High Court did not take it lightly when it saw a lawyer smoking during a virtual hearing.
Due to the coronavirus crisis, the high court is hearing cases through video conference. During one such hearing, Justice AS Supehia saw that the complainant's lawyer was sitting in a car and smoking.
The court pulled up the lawyer, JV Ajmera, for "irresponsible conduct" and imposed a fine on him.
"This court seriously deprecates such conduct of advocate JV Ajmera," it said in an order and told him to deposit Rs 10,000 with the court registry within a week.
"It was not expected from an advocate to be smoking in the car during court proceedings. Such behaviour of the advocate is required to be strictly condemned," the judge said.
The court has now barred advocates from attending proceedings from "any vehicle or any open ground".
It directed the Bar Council of Gujarat and the Bar Association of High Court to instruct their members to attend online hearings from "residences or offices".