Delhi’s Tis Hazari Court recently witnessed a serious breach of videoconferencing (VC) protocols when an individual was caught smoking during a virtual court proceeding. Taking strong exception to the misconduct, the court has sought an explanation from him as to why action should not be taken.

“Court notice be issued to applicant Sushil Kumar for appearing in person, in the Court, on the next date of hearing (NDOH),” ordered District Judge (West) Shiv Kumar on March 25.

The incident occurred during a hearing related to the probate of a will. Initially, Sushil Kumar was seen talking on his mobile phone while attending the proceedings via videoconferencing. Despite being instructed to refrain from doing so as it was disrupting the hearing, he ignored the court’s directions, prompting the staff to mute his audio.

When questioned about his behavior, Kumar apologized and assured the court that he would not repeat such misconduct. However, as the court proceeded to dictate its order, the court staff observed that Kumar was smoking during the virtual session. When confronted about this, he abruptly left the video call, and his counsel also exited after securing the next hearing date.

In response, the court directed Sushil Kumar to appear in person on March 29, 2025, to explain why action should not be taken against him for his conduct during the court proceedings.