There is clearly a problem in the security arrangement at Delhi’s courts, and a glaring one at that. For the fifth time in two years, gunshots rang out at court premises in the Capital this week, highlighting that stringent security checks are either being implemented too weakly to make a difference on the ground or are starkly inadequate. This newspaper reported that a confrontation between two groups of lawyers led to at least five shots being fired in the air at the Tis Hazari court complex. Similar incidents have previously been reported from Rohini, Saket and Dwarka, showing that the problem is widespread and systemic. In April, a suspended lawyer attempted to shoot dead a woman in Saket district court. In September 2021, gangster Jitender Maan alias Gogi was gunned down by members of a rival group inside a courtroom in Rohini district court. On July 12, 2021, a 45-year-old man was shot dead in the Dwarka court complex. And last year, a misfire from a police constable’s gun led to shots being fired in Rohini court again.
The Tis Hazari complex is one of the oldest and most frequented courts in the city. Security personnel with hand-held detectors are present at gates where door-frame metal detectors and scanners are installed. Despite this, people are able to sneak in firearms. These incidents show that security arrangements inside courts — where high-profile criminals and vulnerable justice seekers coexist — are lacking. The continuing court shootings indicate a worrying trend. It is the duty of the administration to ramp up security measures so that justice seekers can withstand the already gruelling process of the law without worrying about a threat to their lives.