Delhi man held for appearing in undergarments, smoking and drinking during court virtual hearing

New Delhi: Delhi Police has arrested a man for disrupting court proceedings being held via videoconferencing by appearing in his undergarments while smoking drinking, an official said on Saturday.

The man, Md Imran (32) from Gokulpuri, is an active history-sheeter with over 50 previous cases of robbery, snatching, and other offences registered across Delhi, police said.

A case was registered on September 22 following a complaint by the court record keeper, Anshul Singhal, Tis Hazari Courts.

"It was alleged that on September 16 and 17, an unknown individual joined the court's video conferencing sessions using the name Akib Akhlak, appearing in his undergarments while smoking and consuming alcohol," Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Raja Banthia said in a statement.

Despite repeated instructions to leave, he allegedly continued to be in the videoconference, causing disruption. Police, then, launched a probe into the matter.

Technical analysis of IP addresses and call data records revealed that the suspect had used multiple fake email IDs and frequently changed locations, complicating tracking efforts.

"Using local intelligence and manual searches, the team traced the accused to Chaman Park, Old Mustafabad, and arrested him from his residence," a senior police officer said.

During interrogation, Imran admitted that he learned about the WebEx videoconferencing platform from an acquaintance and joined the court proceedings out of curiosity. He allegedly acknowledged that he attended sessions in his undergarments, smoked cigarettes, and consumed alcohol during the virtual hearings.

Police recovered a mobile phone, a SIM card, and a router used by the accused in committing the offence.

Imran, a school dropout and former air conditioner mechanic, had previously been jailed and released in September 2021. Since his release, he reportedly resumed criminal activities, including robbery, snatching, and violations under the Arms Act, to fund his addiction to drugs and alcohol.

Further investigation into the case is going on, police said.