In the morning of April 21st 2023, a woman was shot at multiple times by a suspended lawyer identified as Kameshwar Singh, in the District Court of Saket, South Delhi.
The woman was taken to the nearest Max Hospital in Saket where her condition is now considered to be stable, the victim who is identified as M Radha sustained bullet injuries after two bullets scraped her abdomen and right arm.
Police officials stated that the accused was dressed as a lawyer and he fired at the victim when she was discussing the case with her lawyer, he then escaped through the kitchen backdoor on his two-wheeler.
The accused has been reportedly arrested.
The woman (42) was accused of fraud, she had taken sum of rupees 25 lakhs from the accused (49) in the pretext of doubling it, and in relation to this the two had come to court. An FIR was also filed against her in December by the attacker. Moreover, several other cases are also lodged against her in cases of similar context.
This incident occurred two days after a lawyer was shot dead in Dwarka, southwest Delhi by two men on bike who disguised themselves as lawyers in order to enter the court.
Last year in the month of April, at the Rohini court incident of gun violence was reported following a fight between two advocates and their clients.
There has been an alarming increase in violence against lawyers that to inside the court premises.
A petition had been filed in the High Court of Delhi in regards to safety of legal professionals. The petitioners stated that if ‘Advocates Protection Act’ is not passed the confidence of offenders will escalate.
Considering the rise in violence being committed with full blown audacity in courts, there have been concerns regarding safety of lawyers, for which the Bar Council of India has passed a resolution adjuring the union government to frame an effective law regarding “the protection of lives, interests and privilege of advocates and their families”
It was revealed by the apex body the resolution was taken at a joint meeting of Bar Council of India with all state bar councils, under chairpersonship of Manan Kumar Mishra who is a senior advocate and BCI chief. Furthermore, the bar council urged the Centre to also appropriately compensate the lawyers and their families, who have been subjected to such violence and crimes.
The matter of safety and security is not just a concern for lawyers but an issue for judges and litigants nationwide, the supreme court has directed all High Courts to notify the progress regarding the installation of CCTV cameras in Courts.
The division bench embracing of Justices Ravindra Bhat and Dipankar Datta heard the batch of appeals seeking the enhancement of security in courts.
NAME- PRANJAL JHA, COLLEGE- AMITY LAW SCHOOL NOIDA, SEMESTER- 2ND
