New Delhi: Stalking. Harassment. Death threats. The long arm of the law is being twisted, an association of trial court judges told the Delhi High Court Tuesday.
There have been instances of road rage incidents involving judges in East Delhi and Saket District Court where assaults have taken place, all of which are well-documented, the plea said, pointing to numerous cases of judges being attacked in courtrooms with shoes and other such handy weapons of choice.
The list of grievances runs longer. “Browbeating” by anti-social elements inside court compounds, along with instances of firing, also figure prominently. “There have been various instances of attacks on judges in other parts of the country as well after which strict security protocol has been provided in lieu of the persistent threats to judges. Other states such as Maharashtra, Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh have provided decent amount of security to their judges,” stated the plea.
So common is all this that the association calls it ‘routine harassment’, a feature of the capital’s trial courts that includes intimidation, stalking, threats, staring, abusing, and—not infrequently—the use of firearms.
Appearing for the association, senior advocate Kirti Uppal said, “One of the lady judges faced a threat from a litigant who said ‘zinda rehna hai to kam bolo (keep quiet if you want to live)’.”
Taking note of these grievances, the Delhi High Court Tuesday directed senior officers of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Delhi Police and government of the National Capital of Delhi to organise a meeting on the issue of providing security to district court judges.
The court was acting on a plea filed by the Judicial Service Association of Delhi, an organisation based out of the Tis Hazari courts which represents trial court judges.
Justice Manoj Jain ruled, “Let a meeting take place between the senior officials of the Delhi government, MHA and Delhi Police so that a report can be filed by the next date of hearing.” The court will hear the case again after two weeks.
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Endangered justice
The members of the Judicial Service Association of Delhi are elected after due process from among the judges, the plea said, adding that it was created in order to espouse the concerns and grievances of trial court judges posted across Delhi in different capacities.
Underlining that the organisation acts as a grievance redressal mechanism for judges with regard to their security and work environment, the plea pointed out specific instances like the one in September last year at the Karkardooma court when a witness was attacked with a blade. That ended in the judge filing a report alleging hurt caused voluntarily and obstructing a public servant from doing his duty, among others.
The plea said that such incidents have been on the rise and have not stopped even after the heightened security scenario in Delhi after the bomb blast of November last year.
This is not the first time that such an issue has come before the court. In July 2024, the Delhi High Court had specifically directed the Delhi government to consider if security arrangements could be made for district court judges, including providing them with Personal Security Officers (PSOs). “It is the duty of the State to ensure the security and safety of all such stakeholders stationed in the court who come into contact with hardened criminals while discharging their official duties,” the court had ruled then.
The court also said that since judicial officers are also prone to threats, the Delhi government should consider if any allowance or alternate arrangement like providing PSOs can be made. Before this, the Supreme Court had also passed an order in August 2023, giving directions on the issue of security concerns of the judges and suggesting chalking out a security plan while recommending that the court’s entry points that these points be secured by constant monitoring with adequate security equipment, CCTVs, baggage scanners, entry passes, and metal detectors for additional security.
(Edited by Nardeep Singh Dahiya)