The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Advocates seek foolproof security

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Thursday, May 15, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Advocates seek foolproof security

B.S. Ramesh

Advocates’ Association to meet Governor
Monitoring of entry points at courts in Bangalore sought

BANGALORE: Many advocates in Bangalore and other members of the legal fraternity, including officials of the judiciary, have expressed their deep concern over the bomb blast in a court hall in Hubli and have called for better security for courts in the State.

Advocates and their juniors, law clerks and court staff are experiencing a sense of disquiet following the blast in Hubli. Echoing the feelings of insecurity, the president of the Advocates’ Association of Bangalore, D.L. Jagadeesh, said the association will be holding an emergency meeting in Bangalore in the next few days to take decisions to ensure adequate security to court, court staff and advocates.

Request

He said the association would request Governor Rameshwar Thakur and the Home Secretary to immediately issue directions to the police to regulate and monitor the entry of people to the High Court and other courts in Bangalore. (Entry to High Court is already being regulated and police have been posted at the gates of the High Court to screen visitors. Only those holding passes or advocates are being allowed.)

The association, which is the biggest body of its kind in the country and represents nearly 25,000 advocates, said it would urge the Government to install closed circuit television cameras (CCTV) in all court buildings in Bangalore, including the High Court. Mr. Jagadeesh also demanded that the Government draw up a plan to protect the life and property of advocates.

Plan after UP blasts

He recalled that the City police, High Court and the association had already drawn up a plan for stepping up security at the courts after the blasts in Uttar Pradesh courts in November 2006. Most of the security measures which were to be introduced were delayed. He hoped that the Governor would act expeditiously to implement them.

Meanwhile, the Kannada Rakshana Vakeelara Vedike said it had already given a representation to the Governor seeking more police security at courts all over the State. The Vedike president, Vijay Kumar, said that courts are not public buildings and entry of people has to be regulated.

Advocate M.T. Nanaiah said it was not a question of how, but when attacks would take place in courts across Karnataka. Another advocate, Mahantesh, said it is the job of the judiciary and the Government to come up with a foolproof plan to provide security to court buildings and advocates. He, however, said the plan should not inconvenience litigants.

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