Gujarat official invites court rap for loud ringtone
By IANSTuesday, January 4, 2011
GANDHINAGAR - The Gujarat High Court has ordered disciplinary action against a bureaucrat after his mobile phone rang inside the court room and disturbed proceedings, a court statement said Tuesday.
A single judge bench of Justice R.R. Tripathi ordered the settlement commissioner to initiate action against D.P. Jethva, a city survey superintendent in Surat city. The court issued the order after observing that the officer was reluctant to even offer an apology.
In an order made available Tuesday, Justice Tripathi said: “The volume of his mobile was so loud that when it rang, it disturbed the court, except the owner of the phone.”
“Though the mobile rang loudly, the person concerned did not switch it off immediately. He also did not show the courtesy to stand up and apologise to the court. It was only when the court staff requisitioned the mobile from him, with reluctance, he tendered the same,” the judge observed.
The judge also said that there were seven displays in the court room asking people to either switch off their phones or put it on silent mode.
When asked about any rules framed in this regard, government counsel P.K. Jani said Tuesday that there were no such directives, but the court had the power to order punitive action.
