Rohini Court Firing: Lawyer Moves Supreme Court Seeking Directions To Enhance Security In Courts

In the backdrop of recent gun firing and killing of jailed gangster Jitender Gogi inside Delhi's Rohini Court hall, a lawyer has moved Supreme Court seeking directions to the Union of India and State Governments to take immediate steps and measures for security of the Subordinate Courts.

An application filed by Advocate Vishal Tiwari has sought directions for production of Hardcore Criminals and Dreaded gangsters before the trial courts through video conferencing, instead of producing them physically.

The present application has been filed in a PIL filed seeking issuance of specific directions, policies and regulations for the protection of the judicial officers, Advocates and legal fraternity as a whole, which is already pending before the Supreme Court. (Vishal Tiwari vs Union of India).

Further, directions have been sought to install CCTV cameras in those District courts complexes which do not have CCTV Cameras, to ensure that every incident may be caught in its true scene and occurrence.

The applicant has stated that in rural areas and District Courts many litigants come with their aides in large numbers in order to pressurize the other side, and such unwanted mob or persons should therefore not be permitted with any litigant in the Court premises.

Referring to the Rohini Court incident, the applicant has stated that it is not the first incident where the Subordinate Courts have been turned into a place of crime and such killings and attacks have taken place.

The applicant has cited few similar incidents, including one from December 2019 when a man accused of a double murder was shot dead inside a courtroom in western Uttar Pradesh's Bijnor as court proceedings were on. Further, in October 2017 two men accused of murdering a Bhartiya Janshakti Party leader in 2008 were shot at and critically injured inside a courtroom in Barwani district of Madhya Pradesh.

According to the applicant, such incidents are not only a threat to the Judicial officers, lawyers and people present in the court premises but it is also threat to the justice system.

"The court is a place where people are in the shelter of law but they fall victim in courts of unlawful activities." the Applicant has said.

The applicant has further argued that apart from securing the person of the judges and judicial officers against any threat to life, it is also important that the premises of the courts and entire court complex are secured against any attack by the militants or other criminals.

"With hundreds of cases to be disposed off there are always huge crowds in the court complex and in the halls were litigants, lawyers, court staff, judges, visitors, witnesses and many others have to come, meet, talk and examine. In such a situation, security becomes vulnerable if adequate measures are not in place." the application has stated.

According to the applicant, when the security is vulnerable, it is easy for the criminals to mix up in the crowds to hide their identity and then cause a grave situation disrupting the peaceful environs in which the judges are supposed to carry out their work.