In letter to CJI, court staffers’ union flags ‘unrealistic workload’ days after ahlmad dies by suicide in Delhi
It has also requested clear job descriptions to prevent exploitation and harassment of the court staff and the establishment of mental health, counselling, and grievance redressal cells in every district court.
Security at Saket Court Judicial staff body writes to CJI Surya Kant after Saket Court employee’s suicide, seeking Supreme Court monitored review of workloads and service conditions. (Credit: Saket Court)
Days after a 43-year-old differently-abled ahlmad (record keeper) jumped to death from the fifth floor of the Saket Court and allegedly cited “work pressure” in his suicide note, the All India Judicial Employees Confederation (AIJEC), a national body representing court staff, wrote to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Monday. The AIJEC has requested that a Supreme Court-monitored panel review the staff strength, workload, salary, and service conditions in the district courts. Harish Singh Mahar, the ahlmad, died by suicide on January 9.
The Ahmedabad-based Confederation has also demanded an “immediate revision of staff pattern” in all district courts based on workload and sought the implementation of time-bound promotions. “In recent years, a disturbing number of judicial employees across the country have been driven to extreme mental distress, resulting in suicides, depression, and serious health breakdowns. These tragedies point toward a systemic failure in the working conditions of the district judiciary,” the letter read.
In the letter, the AIJEC flagged: “Judicial employees today are suffering from acute staff shortages, forcing existing employees to perform the work of multiple persons; excessive and unrealistic workload, often extending late into nights and holidays; mental harassment and pressure due to the absence of defined work profiles and accountability of officers; and an outdated staff pattern which has not been revised in decades despite a manifold increase in litigation and digital work.”
It has also requested clear job descriptions to prevent exploitation and harassment of the court staff and the establishment of mental health, counselling, and grievance redressal cells in every district court.
Meanwhile, the Delhi-based Stenographers’ Association has written to the Registrar General of the High Court of Delhi in this regard, requesting a review of the existing mechanisms to prevent such incidents in the future. “Judges are recruited from time to time, but simultaneously, ancillary staff is not recruited proportionately and timely, which results in a greater burden on existing staff,” the letter stated.
The Association has sought the setting up of a committee in each district with at least two of its office bearers. Among the Association’s demands are the posting of differently-abled and senior employees near their residences, timely filling of vacant posts and creation of an adequate number of posts, and posting of at least two stenographers in Magistrate and Civil Courts.
It also sought the establishment of de-stress, meditation, and yoga centers and the appointment of data entry operators for uploading judgments and orders to the server.
Nirbhay Thakur is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express who primarily covers district courts in Delhi and has reported on the trials of many high-profile cases since 2023.
Professional Background
Education: Nirbhay is an economics graduate from Delhi University.
Beats: His reporting spans the trial courts, and he occasionally interviews ambassadors and has a keen interest in doing data stories.
Specializations: He has a specific interest in data stories related to courts.
Core Strength: Nirbhay is known for tracking long-running legal sagas and providing meticulous updates on high-profile criminal trials.
Recent notable articles
In 2025, he has written long form articles and two investigations. Along with breaking many court stories, he has also done various exclusive stories.
1) A long form on Surender Koli, accused in the Nithari serial killings of 2006. He was acquitted after spending 2 decades in jail. was a branded man. Deemed the “cannibal" who allegedly lured children to his employer’s house in Noida, murdered them, and “ate their flesh” – his actions cited were cited as evidence of human depravity at its worst. However, the SC acquitted him finding various lapses in the investigation. The Indian Express spoke to his lawyers and traced the 2 decades journey.
2) For decades, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has been at the forefront of the Government’s national rankings, placed at No. 2 over the past two years alone. It has also been the crucible of campus activism, its protests often spilling into national debates, its student leaders going on to become the faces and voices of political parties of all hues and thoughts. The Indian Express looked at all court cases spanning over two decades and did an investigation.
3) Investigation on the 700 Delhi riots cases. The Indian Express found that in 17 of 93 acquittals (which amounted to 85% of the decided cases) in Delhi riots cases, courts red-flag ‘fabricated’ evidence and pulled up the police.
Signature Style
Nirbhay’s writing is characterized by its procedural depth. He excels at summarizing 400-page chargesheets and complex court orders into digestible news for the general public.
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