NEW DELHI: In the wake of rising shooting incidents in Delhi courts, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked senior police officials and Bar Associations to suggest measures on tightening the security in district courts of the capital.
On April 21, inside the Saket court, a 40-year-old woman was shot multiple times by a man, with whom she was undergoing a legal battle in a case of cheating, the last incident of the shooting series in the city courts. The high court order came on a suo motu Public Interest Litigation (PIL) taken up after the firing at the Rohini court complex in September 2021.
Taking note of the incident, a Division Bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad asked the authorities and cops to discuss the suggestions to step up the security within two weeks. Appearing for the Delhi government, Standing Counsel Santosh Kumar Tripathi submitted that the police have been very cooperative and are doing ‘fantastic work’ concerning this matter.
He said, “Measures are being taken and the police are trying to put more CCTV cameras. All the measures are being taken to ensure safety and security (in court premises).” Last year in September, the court had sought from its administrative side a fresh status report on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in July 2019.
Lawyer Kunwar Gangesh Singh had filed the PIL seeking directions to enhance the security systems of various district courts across the city. The court had then in December 2021, issued directions related to the safety and security of the courts’ complexes and for reviewing and revamping its security arrangements.