Gujarat HC Orders Inspector Who Sipped A Drink During VC Hearing To Distribute Coca-Cola Cans to Bar Association

On Tuesday, the Gujarat High Court ordered a police officer who was sipping a drink during a VC Hearing to give the Bar Association 100 cans of a cold drink (coca-cola) or face disciplinary action.

Inspector A.M. Rathod was discovered sipping a beverage during the VC hearing, which was held in front of Chief Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice Ashutosh J. Shastri.

Inspector Rathore was in court for an online hearing in a case where he was accused of assaulting two women at a traffic intersection.

When Chief Justice Aravind Kumar noticed him sipping a drink, he summoned AGP DM Devnani and remarked, “Is that the way in which an officer…if he was in court, would he have come with a Coca-Cola can?” AGP Devnani apologized in front of the bench for this. The police was seen drinking from a Coca-Cola can, according to the CJ, and he was unsure of the contents.

The Chief Justice made the following statement in response to another instance of a similar nature:

“In fact, one of the advocates was chowing down on a samosa. We stated that if you eat samosa, we have no objections. The only catch is that you can’t eat it in front of us since others would be tempted as well. Either he should distribute it to everyone or he should abstain from eating.”

Inspector A.M. Rathod was also ordered to donate 100 cans of Coca-Cola to the bar association; else, the Chief Secretary would be asked to commence disciplinary procedures against him, according to the court.

“We will not leave Rathod… Isko rathod ko chhodenge nahin… He will be in more trouble. Ask him to distribute it in Advocate General’s office,” Chief Justice Aravind Kumar said.