A virtual hearing in the Delhi High Court was disrupted on Wednesday after an obscene video was played during proceedings before a Bench led by Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia.
The incident occurred at around 12:56 pm, though it remains unclear which matter was being heard at the time. The proceedings were immediately halted after the video appeared on screen. When the hearing resumed minutes later, the clip was played again, forcing another interruption.
A complaint has been filed with the IFSO unit of Delhi Police, and an investigation is underway.
Multiple participants were connected to the virtual hearing. One participant, Kshitijit Singh, told investigators that his account had been hacked from the United States and denied any role in the incident.
During the disruption, a message stating “your system has been hacked” flashed on the screen. The obscene clip was played twice, followed by a music video on a third instance. The court was hearing over 100 public interest litigations (PILs) at the time.
Chief Justice Upadhyaya said administrative directions have been issued to the Registrar General. He emphasised that recording court proceedings is prohibited and warned that strict action would be taken if any unauthorised recording is found.
Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma told the court that similar incidents during virtual hearings have been reported earlier, raising concerns over the sanctity of judicial proceedings.
Earlier incidents
Courts have witnessed similar disruptions in recent years. In December 2024, obscene clips were displayed on screens at the National Company Law Tribunal in Mumbai following a reported system breach. In July 2025, an unidentified participant allegedly shared objectionable content during a virtual hearing of the tribunal’s Kolkata Bench. The Gujarat High Court introduced stricter protocols after incidents of inappropriate conduct during online hearings, while in 2021, the Allahabad High Court flagged indiscipline when a lawyer joined proceedings while riding a scooter.
