After complex fire, 21 Gurugram courts navigate chaos in a guesthouse. ‘Can court run out of a bedroom?’

After May blaze, courts continue to function from a PWD rest house, with makeshift courtrooms, cramped spaces, and lawyers and litigants eagerly awaiting transition to new building.

Around 20 rooms in a PWD guesthouse in Gurugram's Civil Lines area, earlier used to accommodate politicians & govt guests, have been converted into makeshift courtrooms & offices | Image via special arrangement

New Delhi: Over a month after a fire broke out at the Gurugram district court complex, 21 courts continue to function from a government guesthouse in the Civil Lines area, with bedrooms turned into makeshift courtrooms, and lawyers and litigants adapting to cramped and unfamiliar spaces.

Speaking to ThePrint, Gurgaon District Bar Association secretary Rahul Dhankar confirmed that the arrangement is temporary and was necessitated by the fire that broke out on 24 May. “After the fire in May, this is a temporary arrangement. Hence, 21 courts are functioning from the Public Works Department (PWD) guesthouse. The official inauguration of the new building is on 12 July,” he said.

Dhankar added that the old judicial complex, built in 1974, remains affected by the incident, while the legal fraternity waits for the transition to the new court building.

The cause of the fire, which reportedly originated in the record room, remains unknown. The blaze rendered parts of the main court building unusable, forcing the administration to shift several sessions and district courts to temporary premises. While authorities have indicated that the newly constructed building near the complex could become operational from 12 July, lawyers say there is still little clarity on whether the timeline will ultimately be met.

The temporary arrangement, they say, has affected everyone, from judges and court staff to advocates and litigants, particularly elderly people who now have to navigate unfamiliar locations and cramped facilities.

A view of the temporary court premises | Image via special arrangement

Advocate Akshay Kanrish said the distance between lawyers’ chambers and the temporary courtrooms has significantly slowed down daily work. “The walking distance to the PWD guesthouse from our chambers in the main court complex is considerable. Work is getting affected because of this. There are delays in uploading orders, and excessive workload on staff with not enough space for us to function properly,” he said.

Kanrish added that the arrangement is expected to continue at least until 12 July, though lawyers remain uncertain about whether the deadline will hold. He also noted that no official explanation has yet been provided regarding the cause of the fire.

Others described the present set-up as chaotic and ill-equipped to handle courts that routinely hear serious criminal matters. Advocate Uttam Suhag said the disruption has continued since 25 May despite initial assurances that courts would soon shift to a newly constructed building nearby. “These courts deal with major criminal matters, but some people are sitting on beds and others on chairs. There is no proper protocol. There is confusion over which judge is sitting where, and elderly litigants are finding it particularly difficult to access these temporary courtrooms,” he said.

According to Suhag, around 20 rooms in the government PWD guesthouse, earlier used to accommodate politicians and government guests, have been converted into makeshift courtrooms and offices. Chambers remain shut and courtrooms have been repeatedly relocated since the fire. “As of now, it feels like a school. We don’t know who the judge is or what’s really happening. There is a lot of confusion,” he said.

Advocate Dheeraj Yadav described the logistical and administrative challenges that lawyers have been grappling with since the fire. “We have to walk nearly a kilometre from our chambers to the temporary courts. There is a road separating the chambers from the makeshift courtrooms, which adds to the inconvenience. The facilities are far from adequate. Bedrooms have been converted into courtrooms after the beds were removed, leaving only tables and chairs,” he said.

According to him, the temporary courtrooms at the PWD guesthouse were originally designed as resthouses and are too small to accommodate regular judicial work. “Can a courtroom run out of a bedroom?” he asked.

Yadav said there is little space for lawyers to sit or move around comfortably, while the main halls in the original court complex remain shut and the damaged building continues to be sealed off. The disruption has also affected access to court records. “There are no certified copies of filings available at present, and both record rooms, where old files and case records are kept, remain closed,” he told ThePrint.

Many describe the present set-up as chaotic and ill-equipped to handle courts that routinely hear serious criminal matters. A view of the rooms which have been converted into makeshift courtrooms | Image via special arrangement

He added that between 20 and 30 courtrooms, including sessions courts, district courts and benches presided over by senior and junior judges, are currently functioning from the guesthouse. The original court complex near Rajiv Chowk in Sector 11, Gurugram, remains partially shut, causing inconvenience to both advocates and litigants.

According to Yadav, the new court building has been under construction for at least three to four years, although lawyers have not been informed about the reasons for the delay. While authorities have indicated that the facility could become operational from 12 July, possibly in the presence of the Chief Justice of India, advocates say they remain uncertain about whether the timeline will ultimately be met.

For now, lawyers say, the fire has done more than damage infrastructure. It has upended the daily functioning of one of Haryana’s busiest court complexes, forcing judicial work into improvised spaces and leaving advocates, court staff and litigants to navigate confusion, long walks and persistent uncertainty.

(Edited by Nardeep Singh Dahiya)