High Court turns into a fortress post-Delhi blast

Although there is no specific threat to Bangalore or Karnataka, Police Commissioner Jyothi Prakash Mirji said that CCTV cameras have been installed to maintain surveillance at the High Court and other courts.

The decision was taken after a high-level committee met under the chairmanship of Home Minister R Ashoka and top officials of the Home Department.

Ashoka visited the High Court to review security arrangements along with Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs S Suresh Kumar, Chief Justice J S Khehar and said that it has been decided to ban parking of vehicles in the vicinity of the High Court.

Apart from the CCTVs, the High Court will have five baggage scanners from Monday to check all the materials entering the court premises and a separate temporary baggage room will be dedicated to house suspicious baggages.

Also, an 80-member quick reaction team will be deployed around the High Court to prevent/attend to any kind of emergency.

At sessions courts

Mirji said that similar measures are being considered for the sessions courts. About two to three BMTC buses will be used to ferry lawyers and litigants from the High Court to sessions court, he added.

The commissioner said that entry through the main gate of the High Court will be restricted to judges, registrars, senior government officers, while sub-ordinate officers, ministerial staff of the High Court will enter through Gate 3 (Southern side of High Court Complex  from Cubbon Park)

Advocates, clients and others visiting the High Court can also enter from Gate-3 besides having provisions to enter through Cubbon Park from Press Club side and on Vidhana Veedhi near KIGD building.

Twenty cars of the judges will be permitted to park inside the cellar on the southern side of the court, and 100 cars in the parking area in front of the court towards the main gate will be reserved for judges, registrars and senior officers of the State government.
Advocates, clients and other private visitors entering from Press Club shall park their vehicles in P-4 next to old KGID. There will be no-entry of vehicles into the High Court from Golden Jubilee Gate.

Physically challenged persons coming in vehicles will enter from Gate-3 and park their vehicles in specially designated parking area behind the High Court complex in P-3.
While all the employees at the High Court are advised to carry their ID cards at all times, visitors are requested to co-operate with all the security procedure.

Mirji said that his department held talks with private security agencies and managements of some private companies and briefed them on emergency procedures. “We have also briefed mall owners and will have additional force deployed around malls as they attract a lot of people,” he said. On Thursday morning, there was a face-off between some lawyers and the police as the police refused to allow two-wheelers inside the High Court premises.