Gujarat HC Chief Justice orders inspector to share cold drink with others

A police officer who was caught having a cold drink during the online hearing of a case was punished in a unique manner on Tuesday (February 16). He was ordered to distribute 100 cans of a cold drink to the bar association.

Chief Justice Aravind Kumar of the Gujarat High Court had spotted inspector A M Rathod drinking something that looked like a cold drink during an online hearing of a case. Reprimanding the officer for his behaviour, the Chief Justice (CJ) directed him to distribute 100 cans of the cold drink to the bar association or else he will direct the chief secretary to initiate disciplinary proceedings against him.

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The CJ further shared that he had similarly pulled up an advocate for eating a samosa during a virtual hearing a few days ago.

“We said that we have no objections to you eating a samosa. But the only ground is, you cannot eat it in front of us, because others are also tempted. Either he should give it to everybody or he should not eat it,” said the Chief Justice said.

Meanwhile, a government pleader, who was present during the hearing where Rathod was reprimanded said that it was in a lighter vein that the court had asked him not to have the cold drink alone, but share it with others as well. “The court had similarly asked an advocate to share a samosa he was eating during online proceedings,” he pointed out.

Further he added that the inspector had appeared before the court for the hearing of a petition accusing him and some other officers of beating up two women at a traffic junction. The police commissioner on Tuesday ordered an inquiry into the matter by a DCP-level officer, directing that a report be submitted within 10 days.

(With inputs from Agencies)