HC seeks explanation on security in courts across UP

The Allahabad High Court today sought to know from Uttar Pradesh government as to what steps were being taken for ensuring foolproof security arrangements at the High Court here, its Bench at Lucknow and lower courts across the state in the backdrop of the recent incident in Varanasi where a hand grenade was found outside a court room. A special seven judges' bench, headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, which has been reviewing security in courts across the state for some time, asked the state government to file its reply by the next date of hearing on May 6. The court also pulled up the Chief Secretary, who had appeared in person in pursuance of the previous order dated April 7, for stating in his affidavit that the post of Principal Secretary (Law) has been lying vacant for long on account of "several letters and reminders by the state government to the High Court" remaining unanswered.

The court admonished the Chief Secretary, pointing out that as per records, the response to a letter from the state government suggesting names of judicial officers for the aforesaid posts was received by the top bureaucrat himself who had also made his endorsements on the note.
The court also issued notices to the Kanpur Bar Association and the SSP of Kanpur Nagar seeking replies on the incidents of April 4 last when a group of lawyers had gone on the rampage inside the district court and vandalized chambers of a number of judicial officers, including the district judge.