CISF vigil for Madras HC extended till further orders

The Madras High Court on Monday extended the CISF protection for it till further orders and sought a comprehensive review of security arrangements at all court complexes in the city to decide whether they should also be brought under the paramilitary force's vigil.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) cover to the high court, first ordered by it in October 2015, had been extended for one year since then and is to end by October 31.

When the matter came up before first bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice Vineet Kothari and Justice C Saravanan, Additional Solicitor General G Rajagopalan, appearing for the Centre, sought a direction regularising the CISF cover for the high court instead of extending it every year.

The bench in its order said: "We are of the opinion that the period of deployment of CISF deserved to be extended till further orders... Accordingly the arrangement shall continue till further orders."

Referring to the October 31, 2018, order in which a request was made to the high court security committee to examine the issue of extending the CISF deployment to the whole of the HC complex, including civil courts, and other courts in the city, the bench said the report of the panel was not comprehensive.

The court requested the security committee to undertake a comprehensive review of the security arrangements through the CISF in all the court complexes in the city and submit a report so that appropriate orders can be passed.

It then posted the matter after three months.

Passing orders on a PIL initiated by itself, the high court had on October 14, 2015, ordered CISF protection to its principal seat here and the Madurai Bench.

The PIL was taken up after the court saw unruly scenes and obstruction by lawyers agitating for declaration of Tamil as official court language and over contempt of court proceedings against two Madurai-based Bar leaders in October.