Plea In Supreme Court Seeks “X” Category Security For All Judicial Officers (03-08-2021)

New Delhi: A Public Interest Litigation has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking directions to the Centre and all the State governments to grant “X” category security to all judicial officers.

The plea also sought directions to the Centre and State governments to immediately initiate and enforce guidelines for the protection of all judicial officers and advocates.

In the aftermath of the recent killing of Jharkhand judge Uttam Anand, a plea filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari before the Supreme Court stated various incidents across the country pointed towards the threats faced by lawyers and judges thereby, preventing them from discharging their duties independently.

Although the mysterious murder of Justice Uttam Anand was promptly taken into consideration by the Jharkhand High Court and this Court, however, stated that such incidents of attack on the judicial officers and advocates are on a rise, said the plea.

Mr Tiwari said that such an alarming rise of brutalities requires the immediate judicial intervention of the Court.

“Such incidents stands as the obstruction of justice because threat on the judicial officers, advocates tend to hinder the functioning and the process of justice. The advocates and judicial officers associated with high profile, high stake and publicised and politicised matters has had to face the wrath in past leading to a mockery of the system of justice of India,” the plea claimed.

The petition also cited the incident of Mumbai where advocate Satyadev Joshi had gone for a survey of the property along with his associate Ankit Tandon when they were allegedly attacked by a group of 15 to 20 men with sharp weapons - swords, knives last month.

“A notion of independent judiciary evolves the thought of non-suppression, non-interference, no external criminal threats and independence, hence such is absolutely necessary for a free society and a constitutional democracy. It ensures the rule of law and realization of human rights and also the prosperity and stability of a society,” added the plea.

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06 Aug 2021