An Indian courts plans to sentence a man for contempt of court for allowing a cellphone to ring during a court case were disrupted, when a policeman's own cell phone also rang during sentencing. The high court in Patna, the capital of the eastern state of Bihar, was sentencing Madhu Kumar, an employee of the state education department, to three days in jail and fined him US$34 for keeping his phone on when attending court.

However, during the sentencing, the ringing sound of a cell phone owned by Rajesh Prasad Paswan, a police officer in the courtroom was heard. The police officer was then duely charged with the same contempt of court charge as the education employee. The police office now faces jail and a fine, and has until next week to respond to the contempt charge.