Delhi HC Directs Delhi Police to Submit Updated Status Report on Court Complex Security Arrangements

The Delhi High Court on Monday directed the Delhi Police to submit an updated status report on the measures taken to strengthen and enhance the safety and security of court complexes in the national capital.

A division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula, instructed that the report should be based on the recommendations and steps discussed in a recent joint meeting involving all stakeholders on May 6.

Previously, in April, the bench had directed senior officials from the Delhi Police and Bar Associations to hold a meeting and propose measures to improve the safety and security of court complexes.

During the hearing, the bench acknowledged the status report filed by the Delhi Police, which mentioned the joint meeting held on May 6 with members of the Bar Council of Delhi, Bar Associations of all courts, and senior police officials from the security unit and district traffic unit. The bench also noted that decisions were made during the meeting, and the President of the Delhi High Court Bar Association was informed about the security measures to be implemented in the High Court.

According to the status report, regular meetings are being conducted with the building maintenance committee, security cell of respective courts, and other stakeholders to address security concerns and implement the court’s directions regarding safety and security in the courts. The next hearing on this matter is scheduled for October 9, 2023.

The bench was hearing a set of petitions seeking improved safety and security measures in trial courts, including a suo motu case initiated in 2021 following a firing incident at the Rohini Courts. In September of last year, the court had requested an updated status report from its administrative side regarding a public interest litigation filed in July 2019 by lawyer Kunwar Gangesh Singh, which sought directions to enhance the security systems of various district courts across the city.

In December 2021, the court issued several directives regarding the safety and security of city court complexes and the review and enhancement of security arrangements. The Delhi High Court administration had previously informed the judicial side of the High Court in September 2020 about the urgent need to increase police deployment at the Rohini Court complex due to inadequate security arrangements.