BENGALURU: In a strange incident, the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday passed an order to retrieve the electronic data of a video conference and identify a person to issue a notice after a senior advocate complained that the person was visible semi-naked for about 20 minutes when the court was hearing a batch of public interest petitions related to sex CD scandal allegedly involving former minister Ramesh Jarkiholi.
Senior advocate Indira Jaising, representing the victim, told the division bench of Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum that a semi-naked man was found bathing during the video conference.
“I was exposed to the semi-naked man for 20 minutes. It is done deliberately. It should never happen again and it is disturbing and offensive. His conduct amounts to gross contempt of court. I request the court to take action under the Contempt of Court Act,” she appealed. Jaising said she will send the digital evidence to the court to take appropriate action against the person who joined the video conference with his name as ‘Sridhar Bhat SDMC Ujire’ on Zoom.
A lawyer, who was on video conference hearing, also confirmed that the semi-naked person left the video conference after the issue was brought to the notice of the court. The court passed the order to retrieve the data and find out the person for issuing notice to him as more than 80 people had logged in during hearing.
Meanwhile, the chief of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) Soumendu Mukherjee submitted to the court that the final report proposed to be submitted by the investigating agency into the sex CD scandal is acceptable. The court asked the SIT to file an application seeking permission of the court if it wants to file the final report before the trial court.
“I confirm that a semi-naked man was visible on the screen for a full 20 minutes despite my objection. I am making an official complaint for contempt of court and sexual harassment. It’s extremely disturbing in the middle of an argument in court,” Jaising tweeted.
I confirm that a semi naked man was visible on the screen for a full 20 minutes despite my objection. I am making an official complaint for contempt of court and sexual harassment. It’s extremely disturbing in the middle of an argument in court
Indira Jaising @IJaising