JOIN USLucknow Bench turns into virtual fortress
Lucknow district magistrate Anil Sagar told reporters here on Wednesday that only those having passes would be allowed entry into the high court building on Thursday.
The Lucknow bench would be pronouncing its verdict in the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid title suits on Thursday afternoon.
Sagar said that the roads leading to the court would be sealed on the day of the judgment and only authorised vehicles would be allowed entry.
Media would also not be allowed entry into the court building and a tent had been erected at the Collectorate Compound nearby in which the reporters would be briefed about the court verdict.
The court has asked the lawyers to follow the directions of security agencies and carry with them the identity card issued by the Oudh Bar Association. Lawyers, who have no listed matters on that date, have been requested not to come to the court.
“Only those litigants whose matters are listed on September 30 will be allowed to enter into the court premises on collecting a pass,” a statement by the Court Registrar said.
Entry to the court room, where the judgement will be delivered, would be restricted only to parties to the suit and their lawyers who will be given special passes on that date.
Mobile phones would not be allowed in the court room where no staff members, except those directly connected with the court proceedings, would be allowed entry.
Security arrangements
Tight security arrangements have been made across Uttar Pradesh in view of Thursday’s verdict in the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid title suits by the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court.
Briefing reporters, a state home department spokesman here said on Wednesday that security personnel in strength had been deployed around all important buildings, including the High Court premises at Lucknow and Allahabad. A superintendent of Police-level official along with six ASPs, 807 constables and two companies of (Provincial Armed Constabulary) PAC, in addition to the CRPF jawans, have been deployed for the security of the High Court premises at Lucknow. Similarly, a team of additional district magistrate-level officials has been formed to keep a strict vigil on the situation at Lucknow and Allahabad, officials said.
Security around the residence of the three judges, who would be pronouncing the verdict on Thursday had also been enhanced. A platoon of PAC and five CRPF jawans have been deployed at residence of each of the three judges, they said. As many as 19 districts have been identified as hyper-sensitive, officials said adding that they included Agra, Aligarh, Allahabad, Azamgarh, Bareilly, Bulandshahar, Baharaich, Kanpur, Meerut, Moradabad, Mau, Varanasi, Lucknow, Bijnore, Mathura and Muzaffarnagar.
Besides, 25 districts have been placed under the category of sensitive districts, they added.
Security forces had already staged flag marches in all the sensitive places and districts, including Ayodhya, Varanasi and Mathura in the state and prohibitory orders had been issued, sources said.
As a preventive measure, all liquor and firecracker shops would remain closed on Thursday, sources said adding that a ban had also been imposed on taking out rallies and holding demonstrations. As many as 52 companies of the CPMF, 150 companies of the PAC, over 80,000 homeguards and 20,000 prantiya rakshak dal personnel along with nearly 80,000 civil police have been deployed for security, sources said.
Meanwhile, officials have made it clear that there will not be any ban on ‘darshan’ of ‘Ram Lalla’ at the makeshift Ram Temple though very few people are expected to visit the temple on Thursday.