Caught on camera: Advocate Dhavan smokes hookah during virtual hearing, judge issues health advisory

Jaipur, Aug 13: Senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan got some advice on the perils of smoking from a high court judge on Thursday, as a video clip surfaced showing the lawyer apparently taking a puff from a hookah during a virtual hearing.

The clip shows Dhavan holding a sheaf of papers in front of his face and some smoke escaping from the side.

When the lawyer keeps the paper aside, what seems to be the nozzle of a hookah appears in the few seconds-long clip, purportedly from Tuesday's proceedings in the court of Justice Mahendra Kumar Goyal.

Dhavan is representing six Bahujan Samaj Party MLAs whose merger with the Congress in Rajasthan is being challenged by the BSP and a BJP MLA.

The judge's remark came Thursday when the hearing resumed.

In a lighter vein during the proceedings, Justice Goyal advised Dhavan that he should quit smoking at his age as it is injurious to health.

Dhavan responded that he would so.

He also admitted that senior lawyers are not accustomed too well to video conference hearings but are trying to cope with the situation.

The lawyer assured he will try to adapt as such hearings are going to be a regular feature for some time.

In April, another lawyer had appeared in a vest during a virtual hearing in the Rajasthan High Court.

The judge then had made it clear that lawyers should appear in proper attire even when they are arguing their case online.