New Delhi: High Court directs meeting of police, lawyers over security measures

New Delhi : Following an incident of shooting in a district court premises here earlier this month, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed that a meeting of stakeholders, including police and bar representatives, be held to discuss measures in relation to security inside courts.

A bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad asked that the meeting be held within two weeks to come up with suggestions. The high court was hearing its own suo motu case as well as a petition on the safety and security in court premises following the September 24, 2021, shootout in a courtroom in Rohini district court that killed three persons.

The court was informed that recently there was another incident of shooting in the Saket District Court premises. On April 21, a 49-year-old debarred lawyer had fired four rounds at a woman and wounded her in the Saket court complex in south Delhi. Delhi government standing counsel Santosh Kumar Tripathi said all measures were being taken by police authorities to ensure safety and security in courts and a meeting may be held between stakeholders and police officials for any further suggestions. "Delhi Police is doing fantastic (work). Measures are taken by Delhi Police. Security has been increased," he said.

Let senior police officers and bar associations meet and discuss the steps required for ensuring the safety in court, the court said. Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma said designation of a person should not grant any immunity from going through security checks. "We have to co-operate. Designation should not grant us any immunity from security check," he said. The high court had on September 30, 2021, initiated on its own a petition concerning security at courts in the national capital following the September 24, 2021, shootout at Rohini Court, saying there was a need for proper and effective deployment of a sufficient number of police personnel in courts.