Lower courts worst affected when it comes to threat perception: HC

Bombay High Court said that there is a dearth of basic amenities in lower courts.

THE Bombay High Court on Friday remarked that lower courts were the worst affected when it came to threat perception in the country.

“There is a dearth of basic amenities in lower courts. Despite the fact that people accused in serious offences visit these courts, luggage scanners have not been installed,” the court said.

“City civil courts have to bear the brunt of the lack of security. There is a police report about threat perception,” said Justices A S Oka and A K Menon, while hearing a public interest litigation filed by the Litigants Association of Maharashtra, which has claimed that there are inadequate facilities like non-functional toilets, unclean drinking water and lack of benches for litigants.

“In lower courts, Rs 5 crore was spent to purchase water coolers and purifiers. However, they have not been installed due to lack of money. The same issue plagues the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court. The coolers have been lying unattended for the past one-and-a-half months,” the court said.

The court had earlier asked the state government to file an affidavit, stating the measures it proposed to take to improve court infrastructure across the state.

It had also asked the state government to formulate a scheme to ensure that basic facilities were available in all courts in the state.
The court had said it was the duty of the state government to provide basic amenities like toilets. “It goes without saying that a facility for clean drinking water will also have to be provided, along with seating space for litigants and witnesses,” the court added.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram