The shootout at Rohini Court in Delhi has once again proved that the security arrangements in our lower courts where thousands of people including the judges, lawyers, staff and litigants visit every day for various purposes, are poor to say the least. Rising numbers of violence in the court premises prove that all the pleas to strengthen the security net in the court campus had fallen into deaf ears. Courts in Lucknow, Varanasi, Ayodhya, Ranchi, Guwahati, etc. had witnessed violence earlier. As a matter of fact, a couple of times violent incidents occured in the Rohini Court too. As no lessons were learnt from such attacks, the court premises have become the most suitable place for the criminals to settle the gang rivalry as was evident from the Rohini Court incident. The casual approach regarding security has emboldened the gangsters so much that they are now not afraid of attacking even the judiciary. The mysterious death of Dhanbad District and Session Judge Uttam Anand proved beyond doubt that the criminals no longer fear law.
It may sound strange but the fact remains that government offices all over the country are more protected than the lower courts. All over the country the lower courts are open like marketplaces where not even a single register is available to write the names of the visitors. Anyone can take a tour of the court premises without ever being asked to prove his or her identity or the purpose of visit. This is quite contrary to the requirements of the place where thousands of criminals and their associates face trial every day. Thus these places need more security than anywhere else. But the security arrangements were so poor that miscreants attacked the Lucknow session court with bombs which is situated merely a kilometer away from Uttar Pradesh Assembly in February last year and injured two lawyers. While the Assembly building has virtually been turned into a fortress in wake of threats from various quarters, the session court was totally unguarded, allowing the criminals to carry on their unlawful activities without any hindrance.
Thus the situation demands the highest level of security in all the lower courts all over the country. We have to ensure full-proof security for those who have taken the responsibility to keep our society free from any criminal activities. Like other government establishments, each and every visitor in the lower courts should prove their credentials and purpose of visit before entering the court campus. Separate and tamper-proof identity cards should be issued to all the members of the bar and the staff, so that no one could enter the court in the guise of a legal practitioner. The number of entry and exit points should be reduced to ensure smooth surveillance. As per the Supreme Court’s advice, the government must rethink the proposal of creating a dedicated force to guard the courts. At the same time, such attacks should never be seen through political prism. These are criminal activities and the criminals should be punished according to the law. So, instead of indulging in a blame game, everyone concerned should sit together to find a way to curb this menace.