Gogi killed in shootout: A yr ago, HC flagged need to raise police deployment

The submission was made in an affidavit in connection with a plea seeking enhancement of security at the seven district courts in Delhi

The high court registry in September last year informed a division bench that there was a need to augment the police deployment at the Rohini Court complex due to the increasing security requirement.

An ambulance inside the Rohini district court in Delhi on Friday, hours after a shootout in which gangster Jeetender Gogi was killed. (Raj K Raj/HT Photo)

The submission was made in an affidavit in connection with a plea seeking enhancement of security at the seven district courts of the city. The registry also noted that the court complex lacked adequate numbers of security cameras.

“The matter was taken up in the Building Maintenance Committee, Rohini Courts and the Committee gave approval for installation of CCTV cameras. The matter was sent to government of NCT, Delhi, for administrative approval and financial sanction. The same is still pending with GNCTD since 25.07.2017, and repeated follow up/reminders have been sent in this regard,” the document read.

The Delhi government did not respond to requests for comment

The affidavit was filed on September 4, 2020, in response to a PIL seeking adequate security measures for the courts citing several past incidents.

The security measures at the city’s court complex has now come into stark focus, after the courtroom murder of notorious gangster Jitender Maan, also known as Gogi.

The plea, filed by Kunwar Gangesh Singh had sought directions to enhance security of various district courts across Delhi to mitigate the sort of incidents witnessed and reported in the last few years.

The petition filed through advocate Richa Singh had also sought stricter rules and regulation along with implementation, saying it was essential for safety of all people present in court premises that safety mechanisms be brought at par with the Supreme Court and the Delhi high court.

In response to the petition, the Delhi high court filed an affidavit stating that out of the seven district courts, only Dwarka had a pass system like the high court. At the rest of the courts, the matter was still under consideration.

The matter is currently pending adjudication in the high court as only urgent matters are being heard in wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Soon after Friday’s incident, lawyers said they were scared for their safety asked Justice Subramonium Prasad at the Delhi high court to issue notice to the city police commissioner.

Justice Prasad, while expressing concern, said, “We as the High Court have to first ensure things are right. Let me see. Let me ascertain, let’s see what’s happening”.

High court sources said that enquiry reports have been received from all the district judges of the trial courts and the matter is under active consideration.

Senior advocate Vikas Pahwa also said that the incident of daylight murders in the courtroom in Rohini is extremely shocking especially when the courts are presumed to be high security zones.

Advocate L K Verma, a practicing lawyer, said all lawyers should be given an identification card which they should hang around their neck when they enter into the court premises. He also said that lawyers need to co-operate with the security agencies and allow them to frisk them for safety purposes.

As a mark of protest, the Co-ordination Committee of All Delhi Bar Association has called for abstinence from work to condemn the incident and revise security norms inside all the seven district courts premises in the national capital.

The Rohini court Bar association also held several meetings to review the security system.

The New Delhi Bar Association said the entire legal fraternity was “shocked” due to a “serious security lapse” causing an incident of firing and killing inside Rohini Court Complex.

“The incident has raised a serious security concern for lawyers, judiciary, staff, litigants and public in general. The issue of security inside the court complex must not be compromised and hence, be taken up at highest possible priority,” said Nagendra Kumar, secretary of NDBA in a circular.

Chairman of Bar Council of Delhi, Rakesh Sehrawat sought action against those responsible for security at the Rohini district courts premises and said nothing can be more shameful than what happened today.

In a statement, the Rohini Bar Association said that it held a meeting where it was decided that the security checks should be strictly enforced on the entry and exit gates throughout the day. The communication said that it was further decided that members/advocates/court staff and litigants shall co-operate with the security checks on the gates by showing their ID cards and also allow their vehicles to be checked thoroughly as and when demanded by the security personnel.