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‘I’m 60% handicapped, job is very tough…’: Staffer jumps to death at Delhi’s Saket court over ‘work pressure’

The victim, Harish Singh Mahar, was working in a digital traffic court. Following his death, court staff and lawyers staged protests

Court staff and lawyers protest outside building after colleague’s death, chanting “Justice for Harish”Court staff and lawyers protest outside building after colleague’s death, chanting “Justice for Harish” (Express Photo)

An Ahlmad (court staff) posted at Delhi’s Saket Court complex jumped to death from the fifth floor of the premises on Friday, citing “work pressure”.

DCP (South) Ankit Chauhan said, “As per the investigation conducted so far, a court staffer has died by suicide by jumping from a building in Saket court complex. A suicide note has also been found.”

The victim was identified as Harish Singh Mahar (35). He had been a court staff since 2010 and was working in a digital traffic court before his death.

According to sources, he jumped from a building near court number 511.

In his note, Harish cited work pressure and said he doesn’t hold anyone responsible. “I believed I would overcome this but I failed. I am 60% handicapped… this job is very tough for me and I succumbed to the pressure…,” it added.

Following his death, court staff sat down outside the building in protest, chanting “Justice for Harish”. Lawyers joined them in unison, shouting, “Tez bolo. Justice for Harish”.

“He jumped due to work pressure. This is too much work to handle for anyone, let alone a differently abled person. How can someone be expected to deal with so many files?” said a court staff present at the spot.

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“There is a shortage of 3,000 clerical staff in Delhi’s courts… one person is handling the work of four people,” another court staff added.

“He was such a lively person. This work pressure took his life. It is a pathetic state of affairs,” said Advocate Dhir Singh Kasana, who was present at the spot.

Defying police directions, lawyers took out their phones to make videos. “Koi marr gaya aur aapko video na banane ki padi hai,” one lawyer shouted.

“An FIR has to be registered… someone has died…,” said another.

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“Don’t go anywhere. Lawyers are with you. Don’t be scared…,” a lawyer told court staff.

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. X (Twitter): @Nirbhaya99 ... Read More

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