Hold Meeting On Increasing Security In District Courts: High Court To Delhi Police, Bar Associations

The Delhi High Court has asked the senior officials of the Delhi Police and Bar Associations to suggest measures on increasing the safety and security in district courts in the national capital.

Taking note of the recent incident where a suspended lawyer shot a lady inside Saket Courts, a division bench comprising of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad asked the stakeholders to convene a meeting within two weeks.

The court was hearing a bunch of pleas seeking measures for increased safety and security in the trial courts, including a suo motu case initiated in 2021 following the gun firing incident at Rohini Courts.

Delhi Government’s Standing Counsel Santosh Kumar Tripathi submitted that the Delhi Police has been cooperating and doing a “fantastic work” in the matter.

“Measures are being taken and the police is trying to put more CCTV cameras. All the measures are being taken to ensure safety and security [in court premises],” he said.

The court in September last year had sought a fresh status report from its administrative side in a public interest litigation filed in July 2019 by lawyer Kunwar Gangesh Singh seeking directions to enhance the security systems of various district courts across the city.

In December 2021, the court had issued a slew of directions concerning the safety and security of the city courts complexes and for reviewing and revamping its security arrangements.

The Delhi High Court administration in September 2020 had apprised the High Court's judicial side that there was an urgent need to augment the deployment of police at the Rohini Court complex due to inadequate security arrangements.

Title: Court on its own motion v. Commissioner of Police & Ors. And other connected matters