×
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Day after: Lawyers claim security beef up 'cosmetic'

Last Updated 08 September 2011, 09:04 IST

At all subordinate courts, the lawyers and litigants visiting the court premises, could be seen being put to greater security checks by security personnel, who were swarming the court premises.

While a metal detector has been installed at gate no 1 of Patiala House Court premises, next to the Tilak Marg police station in New Delhi district, policemen could be seen subjecting lawyers and litigants to intense frisking, even leading to frayed tempers.

While security at gate no 1 and 3 of the Patiala House court premises appeared to be strict with even cars entering from gate 3 being checked, it did not appear so at gate no 2.

While some lawyers termed frisking as "intrusive" and "uncouth" and expected policemen to do the checking with their hand-held metal detector, New Delhi Bar Association (of Patiala House Court) president Santosh Mishra said the association has appealed to the lawyers and litigants to cooperate with the policemen.

"The Bar had a meeting with the District Judge of the Patiala House and they have asked the lawyers to cooperate with the police," said Mishra.

At the Tis Hazari courts too, there was little sign of the usual lackadaisical security at Asia largest court complex, having nearly 350 court rooms and daily visited by over one lakh people, including lawyers and litigants.

But despite more security personnel being deployed in the court complexes and manning its entry gates and lengthy corridors, Rajiv Khosla, the spokesperson of the Co-Ordination Committee of All Bar Associations, expressed, dissatisfaction over steps to ensure safety of lawyers and litigants in the court complex.

"The security in the district courts is not up to the mark. Just a day after the blast at the high court, no significant security measure has been taken and nothing has improved," claimed Khosla.

Echoing Khosla's views and assessment of security situation in the court complex, a senior government counsel, on condition of anonymity, claimed security in subordinate court complexes left much to be desired.

"At any point of time they are sitting ducks for terrorists. Whatever enhanced presence of security personnel you see ise merely 'chaar dinon ki chandni' (an occasional full-moon bloom)," he said.

"You deploy more constables at entry points and inside the court premises, but you just visit the backside of court premises on Kachehri Road on the walled city area side.

"You will find countless tea stalls, photocopier shops and other make-shift shops of people selling their wares. You will also find several breaches and holes in the boundary walls for easy passage of people in and out of the court complex," said the government counsel.

"More men in khaki at best add a cosmetic and false sense of security to the court premises," he said.

ADVERTISEMENT
(Published 08 September 2011, 05:34 IST)

Follow us on

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT