The Delhi High Court has sternly directed all district bar associations to file their suggestions in the form of an affidavit or report by October 29 on the issue of maintaining safety and security at all court complexes in the capital.
The division bench led by Chief Justice D.N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh had taken a suo motu cognizance in wake of the shocking shootout that occurred inside the Rohini Court Complex on September 24, 2021, which left three people dead and a woman lawyer injured.
The Bench stated, “If anybody wants to file any suggestions, they are always welcome, but the same shall be filed on or before October 29, 2021,” while observing that no further time beyond October 29 shall be granted to any stakeholder to file their suggestions.
Chetan Sharma, Additional Solicitor General, informed the Delhi High Court that in pursuance of the directions issued by the Court, substantive steps have been taken by the Delhi Police for maintaining safety at all court complexes in the national capital.
He further stated that a standing order was issued by the Delhi Police Commissioner for managing security effectively at all court complexes in Delhi, which inter alia includes covering physical checking points in all courts, repairing non-operating scanners, deploying sufficient manpower with paramilitary support, inspector-in-charge has been placed for each court exclusively.
“About 85 door metal detectors and 125 hand-held detectors have been supplied in all courts, and a tender has been floated for procuring x-ray scanner machines that could be installed in the court complexes,” Sharma added further.
So far, Delhi Police Commissioner, the Delhi High Court Bar Association, Bar Council of Delhi and Saket Bar Association have filed their respective reports with suggestions in aid of formulating measures for maintaining safety and security at all court complexes in the capital.
A related petition filed by practising Advocate Deepa Joseph through Advocates Robin Raju and Blessan Mathews, also enumerates a list of “valuable suggestions” which could be implemented for ensuring safety and security of the District Courts in Delhi, which includes-
a) A strict instruction to all the police personnel deployed at court entrances to ensure mandatory checking of the ID Cards of each and every lawyer who enters the court premises.
b) To make the level of security and frisking of lawyers at district court complexes at par with the Delhi High Court and the Apex Court.
c) To ponder over the decision on installation of biometric punching device at the entrance gates of all the Courts.
d) To take strict disciplinary action against those officers who do not implement the aforesaid direction with utmost diligence and seriousness.
e) A direction to the Bar Council of Delhi to issue an advisory to ask their respective members to cooperate with police personnel deployed at the entrance of court complexes.
The Bench had previously opined that there is a need for an effective deployment of sufficient number of police personnel at all court complexes in Delhi. In addition, the Bench stated that there is a need for installation of more number of CCTV camera at all strategic points, along with a fool-proof entry system with installation of hi-tech metal detectors and baggage scanners at all the courts in Delhi, including the High Court.
The matter will next be taken up on November 8.