Lawyers to be frisked at Shivajinagar court

Two days after an intelligence alert of a security threat at Pune District and Sessions Court,Shivajinagar,the police personnel deployed on the premises of the court have been given the permission to not just check the identity cards of lawyers but also frisk lawyers and check their belongings,if necessary.

Two days after an intelligence alert of a security threat at Pune District and Sessions Court,Shivajinagar,the police personnel deployed on the premises of the court have been given the permission to not just check the identity cards of lawyers but also frisk lawyers and check their belongings,if necessary.

We have appealed to the lawyers to cooperate with us as there have been incidents in the past where they have expressed discomfort when asked for identification by the police, said principal district and sessions judge Anant Badar,who took a round of the court premises to take stock of the security arrangements on Monday.

Since,the intelligence alert is not for a specific period,we plan to pursue the system where lawyers,visitors and litigants will be randomly frisked, said a senior court official.

The district judge had received a letter from the police commissioner last week stating that one or more persons,impersonating as lawyers,are likely to attack individuals in an apparent gang-war.

We shall also issue circulars to members of various taluka bar associations to ensure that those coming from taluka courts should also carry their identity cards with them, said senior lawyer Milind Pawar.

The problem of security on court premises had surfaced in May 2010,when a 24-year-old youth who had come for court proceedings,was murdered inside the court premises by rival gang members.

Following the incident,the then committee of Pune Bar Association had demanded installation of CCTV cameras,among other measures such as increasing the height of the compound wall,erecting watch towers,having door-frame metal detectors and more police force in the court.

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