In an unforeseen incident, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court was plunged into darkness during a court hearing, leading to a frustrated outburst from the presiding judges. The power failure occurred amidst the proceedings, prompting Justice Atul Shridharan and Justice Moksh Khajuria Kazmi of the Division Bench to express their dismay over the deplorable condition of the court’s infrastructure.
The power cut, which began at 9:30 AM, lasted until 11:28 AM without any restoration, causing significant disruptions to the court’s operations. The bench was hearing a case related to the University of Kashmir at the time. In response to the incident, a judicial note was issued, and a letter was sent to the Chief Secretary of the state, urging immediate intervention to address the situation.
The judges highlighted the severe impact of the power outage, noting that even the generator and air heating units failed to function, leaving the courtroom in complete darkness during working hours. The incident was described as a reflection of the dismal state of the Srinagar wing of the High Court of Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh.
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The Division Bench emphasized the urgent need for a permanent solution to the power crisis, suggesting measures such as a dedicated power line for the high court to ensure uninterrupted operations and the installation of reliable generators and air heating units to prevent such occurrences in the future.
The court has called on the Chief Secretary to issue necessary directives to mitigate the power challenges and ensure that the judiciary’s work is not hindered by such infrastructural failures.
