Petty salaries,poor work area: state prosecutors get HC sympathy

The court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that sought appointment of more prosecutors to speed up hearings for 268 undertrials who are in jail for more than five years now due to delayed proceedings.

On the issue of appointment of more prosecutors,Justice Lokur told Delhi government’s standing counsel Najmi Waziri that he could summarise in three points the problem of getting an adequate number of prosecutors,and good ones at that. “Look at their condition of work and infrastructure: there are no fans,no coolers,no rooms. Nobody can work under such conditions,” the judge observed,as he scanned through the government’s report that stressed on appointing more prosecutors.

“Then they do not get adequate salaries,and lastly,they do not have any training.”

When told that more than 50 prosecutors were yet to be appointed,Justice Lokur said unless proper salaries were given,the government should not expect getting good prosecutors.

During the hearing,the court was informed that prosecutors had to share rooms for work and that juniors had no place to sit,forcing them to sit in the courts after work hours to check chargesheets and do other paperwork. The judge replied,“I must tell you they have to share even a fan,that has to be hung strategically between the two equal halves so that both get equal amount of air.”

Justice Gupta,who was a standing counsel for Delhi government before being elevated as a judge,agreed with the contentions. She said the place where prosecutors have to sit is the “worst area of Tis Hazari Court complex”.

“We all have been there,” she added.

The Bench told Waziri that the government must utilise the money kept aside by the 13th Finance Commission to train the prosecutors and improve their work infrastructure. Waziri assured the court he would look into the issue.

The matter will come up for hearing next on April 14.