A disturbing cyber intrusion during a virtual hearing of the Delhi High Court on Wednesday forced the suspension of proceedings after explicit pornographic content was repeatedly broadcast. The incident has prompted a formal complaint to the cyber wing of Delhi Police, and an investigation by the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit is underway.
The disruption occurred during a live hearing before the Division Bench led by Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia, as the court began reviewing cases from its supplementary list. Court proceedings were abruptly interrupted when an unknown individual logged into the virtual session under a suspicious username—“Shitjeet Sighn”—and took control of the screen-sharing function. The intruder then displayed graphic pornographic material, catching both the judges and participants completely off guard.
Court staff swiftly terminated the session, but the same user rejoined and repeated the disruptive act, prompting another shutdown. A third attempt to resume the hearing was also thwarted when the intruder breached the system again, playing explicit content and warning participants that the system had been compromised.
The repeated disruptions forced the court to halt the proceedings for a considerable period while cybersecurity measures were put in place. Upon resumption, strict access controls were imposed: interactive functions were locked for all participants, and both video and audio feeds from the Bench were disabled as a precaution.
This breach has raised significant concerns over the security of judicial virtual hearings, which have become more common in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Legal experts have highlighted the incident’s potential to undermine the sanctity of court proceedings conducted online, while also questioning the vulnerability of judicial systems to cyberattacks.
The Delhi High Court administration has formally approached the IFSO unit for a comprehensive investigation. The IFSO team is now working to trace the IP addresses involved, analyse digital logs, and determine whether the breach was the work of domestic actors or a more sophisticated external attack.
In response to the incident, the High Court is reviewing its virtual hearing protocols and considering stricter security measures to prevent such breaches in the future.
