Court proceedings at the Delhi High Court were thrown into disarray when inappropriate footage suddenly surfaced during an online hearing conducted by Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia.
Officials familiar with the matter said the objectionable material appeared more than once during the live session, compelling court authorities to immediately suspend the video conferencing platform. The disruption has sparked serious concerns about digital security protocols used during judicial hearings.
Early indications suggested the content may have been streamed through the user accounts of litigants Shridhar Sarnobat and Shitijit Singh. Following the incident, the High Court administration filed a complaint with the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit of the Delhi Police, seeking a detailed investigation into the breach.
The IFSO unit, which specialises in complex cybercrime cases, has the technical capability to trace digital intrusions, recover erased electronic data and analyse sophisticated online attacks.
During preliminary interactions with investigators, Shitijit Singh reportedly stated that his account had been compromised from overseas, claiming he had no role in the display of the explicit material.
The matter was brought to the Bench’s attention by Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, who indicated that similar disruptions had occurred in other virtual courtrooms as well.
Chief Justice Upadhyaya subsequently instructed the Registrar General to initiate administrative steps. He underscored that court proceedings cannot be recorded unless officially authorised and cautioned that strict action would follow if anyone was found responsible for capturing or circulating footage.
Authorities are now examining whether the episode was the result of hacking, misuse of access credentials, or a larger security vulnerability in the court’s digital infrastructure.