NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday pulled up Delhi Police and government authorities over the lack of proper security for judicial officers, saying their approach was “affecting judicial independence”. The judge noted that the district court judges deal with heavy case-loads and are “exposed to risks”.
Justice Manoj Jain, while hearing a plea seeking Personal Security Officers (PSOs) and proper safety arrangements for district court judges, said that authorities cannot wait for an untoward incident before acting.
“You are affecting judicial independence,” the judge said and asked the authorities why protection was not provided “despite clear risks”, adding that the demand for round-the-clock security appeared justified and deserved proper consideration.
The court also expressed unhappiness with the response of the authorities concerned for their lack of seriousness, terming it “insensitive” after noting that the earlier meeting on the issue failed to address key concerns and did not include some important officials.
During the hearing on Tuesday, the court also declined to take the minutes of the earlier meeting on record and directed that a fresh meeting be convened within seven days.
“Return with concrete and workable suggestions,” the judge asked the authorities concerned. The matter is now listed for hearing on May 12.
The judge made the observation after senior advocate Kirti Uppal, appearing for the Judicial Service Association, informed the court that several states have already provided security to judicial officers, but similar steps have not been effectively taken in Delhi.
The bench also noted that restricting security to a limited number of officers or specific categories was not justified. It had earlier directed senior the Union Home Ministry, Delhi government, and Delhi Police to examine the issue of security for district court judges.