In a significant move towards enhancing security and surveillance within judicial premises, the Uttar Pradesh government disclosed to the Supreme Court on Monday that it has earmarked Rs 82 crore for the installation of new CCTV cameras in district courts across the state.
The revelation came during a hearing before a bench comprising Justices B R Gavai and K Vinod Chandran, who are overseeing a suo motu case concerning the assault on two Supreme Court Bar Association members at the district court complex in Gautam Budh Nagar.
“The state has committed approximately Rs 82 crore for bolstering the CCTV infrastructure within court precincts,” stated the government’s counsel during the session. This funding initiative aims to address the critical need for functional surveillance systems to safeguard legal practitioners and visitors.
The Supreme Court responded by issuing a fresh notice to the president and secretary of the Janpad Dewani and Faujdari Bar Association of Gautam Budh Nagar. The apex court has demanded their presence in the next hearing on February 17, warning of potential proceedings in their absence to resolve the matter conclusively.
The issue gained prominence following a distressing incident last year on April 1, when the apex court called for a governmental response after learning about the malfunctioning CCTV systems in Gautam Budh Nagar, as reported by the district judge. The urgency escalated with the alleged manhandling of senior advocate Gaurav Bhatia, which highlighted the deteriorating security conditions in court areas, exacerbated during a lawyers’ strike.
Further complicating the security scenario were accounts of misbehavior involving legal professionals, including an incident where a female lawyer was reportedly manhandled. These episodes prompted the Supreme Court to instruct the preservation of relevant CCTV footage and the initiation of a suo motu petition concerning the events that transpired during the strike.
Expressing concern over the implications for litigants, the top court criticized the strike by bar members, underlining the adverse effects on the stakeholders within the justice system who rely on prompt and orderly legal proceedings.
