'Shootout at courts not first time', plea demands Delhi HC to tighten security

After an alleged gang war happened at Delhi's Rohini Court leaving a dreaded gangster and two assailants dead and a law intern injured, a petition has been filed before the Delhi High Court seeking appropriate security measures across the district courts in the national capital. The plea filed by Deepa Joseph through Advocates Robin Raju and Blessan Mathews sought directions to the Delhi Police Commissioner and Bar Council of India (BCI) to take requisite measures that ensure the safety and security of the District Courts of Delhi. Joseph in her plea also highlighted the similar incidents of firing which took place in the lower courts of Delhi in the past. "It is also worth noting that the incident of Friday is not the first of its kind in Delhi. In the recent past, there have been incidents of shooting in the Dwarka Court, a firing near the Saket Court in May 2019 and earlier in 2017, an undertrial was killed after being shot inside the Rohini Court Complex. A shocking incident similar in line to the incident in Rohini Court was the killing of a Delhi Police head constable when four armed assailants open fired inside a courtroom at Karkardooma Court Complex in the year 2015," the plea said. Speaking about yesterday's incident, the plea said, "The incident that has happened on Friday, at Rohini Court, was truly well planned. The assailants posed as lawyers and were present inside the courtroom before the dreaded gangster was produced before the Court. The ease with which the assailants entered into the court premises in the attire shows that they were well aware that it is easy to get access into the court by being in a lawyers attire." Highlighting the lapses in the court premises, the petitioner said, "The Petitioner as someone who visits the district courts in Delhi has also seen how the Police personnel present at the court entrances more often than not step back from frisking a person who is in a lawyers attire. The point that the petitioner wishes to highlight is that the level of frisking of lawyers also needs to be made at the same level as in the High Court of Delhi and the Supreme Court of India. And in the future, a decision can also be taken regarding installing a biometric punching device outside the entrance gates of all the courts." The petitioner knows that there may be a section of lawyers who will not appreciate this suggestion of the petitioner, but the petitioner is making this suggestion considering the overall safety and security of judges, lawyers, court staff and litigants as a whole, Joseph said. Gangster Jitendra Gogi was shot dead in a broad daylight shootout that took place in Rohini court today. Media portals have reported that apart from Gogi, three others have been killed in the shootout. The assailants, who were dressed as lawyers, attacked Gogi when he was brought inside the courtroom. Witnesses told the media that the judge and the court staff were present while the horrific incident took place. Chief Justice of India NV Ramana has expressed his deep concerns at the shootout in Delhi's Rohini Court, which took place earlier on Friday. In this regard, the CJI spoke to Chief Justice of Delhi High Court D N Patel and advised him to speak to both police and Bar to ensure that the functioning of the court is not affected. It may be recalled that the matter of safety and security of Court complexes and judicial personnel is already under the scope of the Supreme Court. In the wake of Friday's incident, the matter may be heard next week. Image: Pixabay/ Shutterstock

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'Shootout at courts not first time', plea demands Delhi HC to tighten security

A petition has now been filed before the Delhi High Court seeking appropriate security measures across the district courts in the national capital.

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