NEW DELHI: The low-intensity blast at Rohini district court complex on Thursday, December 9, 2021, has yet again brought to light the holes in security arrangements at the busy court premises. In September this year notorious gangster Jitendra Jogi was shot dead inside the court complex by two assailants disguised as lawyers.
Since large number of people and vehicles enter the premises around 10 am every working day, a thorough inspection of all people and vehicles is a challenging task. While lawyers and litigants are allowed entry only after inspection with the help of scanners and metal detectors, police officials and the case materials they bring in are not checked adequately.
According to Arvind Vats, joint secretary of Rohini Bar Association, they have umpteen times raised the demand that police officials visiting the court for hearings should be properly checked. “We don’t know what all is brought inside the court in the name of case property. Anybody with a fake police uniform can enter the premises and the constable at the security check will not dare to inspect him,” said Vats.
After the blast on Thursday, Delhi High Court judges Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar and Justice Siddharth Mridul, members of Rohini Bar Association and senior police officials convened a meeting. While the bar association raised the issue of security lapses, the police officials assured them of better security system in the future.
Speaking with The Morning Standard, Vats said that officials had been ignoring security arrangements at the basement entrance of the court since last week. “Earlier they used to scan and make inspections at the basement entrance but since last week they have ignored it. There is no security person there,” Vats said.
Sprawling premises pose big challenge
The sprawling premises pose a big security challenge. While the public enters the court through gate 5 and the advocates through gate 4, the judges and court staff have a separate entry.