A woman was injured after being shot inside a court complex in Delhi. (File)
Following an incident of shooting in a district court premises here earlier this month, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed that a meeting of stakeholders, including police and bar representatives, be held to discuss measures in relation to security inside courts.
A bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad asked that the meeting be held within two weeks to come up with suggestions.
The high court was hearing its own suo motu case as well as a petition on the safety and security in court premises following the September 24, 2021, shootout in a courtroom in Rohini district court that killed three persons.
The court was informed that recently there was another incident of shooting in the Saket District Court premises.
On April 21, a 49-year-old debarred lawyer had fired four rounds at a woman and wounded her in the Saket court complex in south Delhi.
Delhi government standing counsel Santosh Kumar Tripathi said all measures were being taken by police authorities to ensure safety and security in courts and a meeting may be held between stakeholders and police officials for any further suggestions.
"Delhi Police is doing fantastic (work). Measures are taken by Delhi Police. Security has been increased," he said.
Let senior police officers and bar associations meet and discuss the steps required for ensuring the safety in court, the court said.
Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma said designation of a person should not grant any immunity from going through security checks. "We have to co-operate. Designation should not grant us any immunity from security check," he said.
The high court had on September 30, 2021, initiated on its own a petition concerning security at courts in the national capital following the September 24, 2021, shootout at Rohini Court, saying there was a need for proper and effective deployment of a sufficient number of police personnel in courts.
In a status report filed in the matter, the police had last year informed that to improve the security setup of all seven district courts in the national capital, 997 security personnel, including local police and CAPF, had been deployed there.
It had also said over 2700 CCTVs, 85 baggage scanners, 242 handheld metal detectors and 146 door frame metal detectors had also been installed in the district courts.
As on November 30 last, a total 997 security personnel had been deployed in district courts as opposed to 783 on October 26, 2021, and that a total of 313 such security personnel were also present in the high court besides several door frame metal detectors, hand held metal detectors, CCTV and other facilities, the report had said.
The report had also said that additionally, boom barriers and 59 wireless sets and control rooms for prompt communication had been given at these institutions and every person was subjected to searching and frisking .
The high court had earlier directed the Delhi Police Commissioner to undertake periodical review of security arrangements in courts, based on security audit by an expert team, for the deployment of requisite number of personnel and installation of gadgets.
Jailed gangster Jitendra Gogi and his two assailants posing as lawyers were killed inside the Rohini courtroom on September 24, 2021, in a dramatic shootout that also saw the police fire bullets in retaliation, the officials had said.
Video footage of the incident showed policemen and lawyers rushing out in panic as gunshots rang out inside courtroom number 207.
The two gunmen dressed as lawyers are suspected to be members of rival Tillu gang, an official had said, adding that over 30 shots were fired.
On December 9, 2021, a man was injured in a low-intensity explosion that took place inside a courtroom in Rohini district court, raising questions about security arrangements there.
The matter would be heard next by the high court in July.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)