Delhi High Court to hear the plea on adequate security in lower courts on Sept. 29

The Delhi High Court will hear the appeal on issuing guidelines for providing adequate security arrangements in the lower courts of Delhi on 29th September. The court ordered a hearing after advocate Richa Singh demanded an early hearing on this petition.

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court will hear the demand for issuing guidelines for providing adequate security arrangements in the lower courts of Delhi on 29th September. Advocate Richa Singh demanded an early hearing on this petition on Monday, after which the court ordered a hearing on 29th September.

Six law students had filed a petition in the Delhi High Court in 2019 demanding increased security in all district courts of Delhi. After the firing in the Rohini Court on 24th September, advocate Deepa Joseph has also filed a petition in the Delhi High Court seeking directions to make adequate security arrangements in the lower courts of Delhi.

Advocates Robin Raju and Blasan Mathew have said on behalf of the petitioner that concern has been expressed on the firing in Rohini Court. The petition said the lawyers practising in the lower courts of Delhi are feeling insecure. A woman lawyer was also injured during the incident. The shootout inside the court has raised a question mark on the safety of judges, lawyers and the parties.

There have been incidents of firing in the courts of Delhi in the past, the petition observed. In 2019, there was a shooting inside the Saket court and in 2017 an undertrial prisoner was shot dead in Rohini court. In 2015, a head constable was killed in a firing by four armed criminals at the Karkardooma Court.

In such a situation, there is a need to give directions to the Delhi Police Department to instruct the policemen posted in the court premises to check the ID card of every lawyer before allowing them into court premises. Strict action should be taken against the police officers defaulting on these guidelines.

It has been suggested in the petition that the Delhi Bar Council should issue an advisory to all the bar associations that all the lawyers should cooperate with the police while entering the court premises. On September 24, there was a firing in the Rohini courtroom, in which gangster Jitendra Gogi was killed on the spot. The incident took place in the court of Additional Sessions, Judge Gagandeep Singh, in Court No. 207 of Rohini Court. Two men in lawyer's uniform opened fire on gangster Jitendra Gogi. In retaliation, both the attackers were also killed in police firing.