Bombay HC seizes govt employee phone, imposes Rs 10,000 fine for recording proceedings

The Bombay High Court on Monday, 5 October, ordered the confiscation of a government employee's mobile phone and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 for recording court proceedings without permission. A division bench of Justices Girish Kulkarni and Dr Neela Gokhale detected Dilip Wagh, an employee of the Office of the Education Inspector, recording proceedings with his phone's flashlight on. He initially denied the act, but the court's IT department retrieved the video from his phone's 'recently deleted' folder.

The bench observed that such unauthorised recordings are on the rise and can be manipulated and distorted before being circulated on social media. It noted that Wagh, as a government employee, had a 'more onerous' responsibility to follow rules. The court accepted his apology subject to conditions, ordering his phone seized and personal data wiped before disposal. Wagh must deposit Rs 10,000 with the High Court Legal Services Authority within two weeks, failing which the amount will be recovered from his salary. The court warned that any future violation could invite contempt proceedings.