CHENNAI: Expressing concern over accused in the Armstrong murder case allegedly sneaking country-made bombs into the court campus, the Madras High Court on Monday directed the Director General of Police (DGP) and bar associations to submit their suggestions for strengthening security and surveillance on the court premises.
A division bench of Justices S M Subramaniam and M Jothiraman heard the petitions filed by some of the accused challenging their detention in the case. Expressing anguish over the consequences, it asked, “What would have happened had the bombs gone off?”
The bench stressed the need for putting in place a workable security check-up mechanism to prevent such incidents. “We need to put in place some system. Both the lawyers and the police should be sensitised. The things brought into the court have to be subjected to security checks,” it said.
The bench said though a high-security system, similar to those in airport terminals, could not be established on the court premises, “some reasonable, discreet checking could be done.” The court sought suggestions from the DGP and bar associations, including the Madras Bar Association (MBA) and the Madras HC Advocates Associations (MHAA).
During a previous hearing of the habeas corpus petitions filed for quashing the detention under the Goondas Act, Additional Advocate General P Kumaresan, while highlighting the gravity of the charges against the detenues, told the bench that some of the accused persons in the murder case had sneaked the bombs into the court premises and handed them over to a few others.