Ensure foolproof security in all district court premises: HC to UP govt

Amid recurrent incidents of violence in various courts premises in Uttar Pradersh, the Allahabad High Court on Friday ordered the state government to ensure a foolproof security in all district courts, complete with the deployment of special security force and installation of CCTV camera there.

A bench of justices Sudhir Agarwal and Sunit Kumar gave the direction to the government with the state's home secretary and inspector general of police (law and order) attending the hearing in response to summons to the state police chief and additional home secretary.

The bench asked the government to make security arrangements in all district courts by December 31.

It also directed government to get boundary walls built around all district court premises, besides installing CCTV cameras and deploying special police force there by January 15 next year.

After issuing directions, the bench fixed January 2 as the next date to hear the matter further.

The bench issued directions while adjudicating an incident of violence in a Bijnor courtroom that the high court had taken suo motu cognisance of on Wednesday. One murder accused was killed and three others were injured in the December 17 attack.

Expressing its concern over the recurrent incidents of violence in various court premises across the state, the bench on Wednesday had also issued summons to the state police chief and additional home secretary for Friday.

It seems there is complete failure of law and order inside court premises in the state. The most incompetent police professionals are deployed for security of court premises in the state. Is the government serious about court security? Are top officials even aware about these incidents which happened in recent past in different courts of Uttar Pradesh? the bench had asked on Wednesday.

The bench had told the additional advocate general that strengthening court security in the state was an issue pending with it since 2008 but nothing much seems to have been done.

If the state government cannot provide adequate security in court premises, we will ask central government to deploy central forces for it, the bench had said.

Three recent incident of attacks on undertrial in Muzaffarnagar, on a lady lawyer in Agra and now in Bijnor show that criminals are so fearless now in the state that they are entering court rooms and killing people, they said.

Shahnawaz, killed in the Bijnor attack, was accused in the murders of a property dealer and BSP leader Haji Ehsaan and his nephew Shadab on May 28 in Najibabad.

The police had arrested Danish, Shahnawaz and shooter Abdul Jabbar in connection with the murders. On December 17 afternoon, Shahnawaz was brought from Tihar jail to the CJM's court for a hearing.

Sahil Khan, son of Haji Ehsaan, had allegedly barged into the courtroom along with his two aides and pumped three bullets into Shahnawaz, while also injuring two policemen.

Both were brought to the CJM court for hearing from Tihar jail in Delhi on Tuesday afternoon when the assailants allegedly fired at them, leaving Shahnawaz dead. Co-accused Jabbar suffered serious injuries.

Two policemen, who rushed to save the victims, were also injured in the firing.

There was panic in the courtroom and along with the others, even the judge had to run away to save his life.

Police arrested all three attackers after chasing them in the court compound.