Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Thursday said the Supreme Court may take up the judicial side of the issue of closure of Delhi Metro stations, especially the Supreme Court Metro station, if the authorities fail to find a solution to the difficulties faced by lawyers and court staff in reaching the court.
The CJI said he has already issued administrative directions to the authorities to explore a solution and expressed hope that the issue will be resolved by lunchtime, failing which the court will consider judicial intervention.
The assertion came after Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president and senior advocate Vikas Singh mentioned the case before a CJI-led bench at the beginning of the proceedings.
Drawing attention to the inconvenience caused to members of the Bar Association, Singh said that the police closure of the Supreme Court Metro station severely affected access to the court complex. He suggested that instead of a blanket lockdown, lawyers and registration officers could be allowed to use the terminal after verification through their proximity cards at the Supreme Court and screening at exit points.
The ICJ responded: “We have instructed the authorities and solutions are being explored. If a solution has not been found by lunchtime, we will intervene in another way.”
Justice Kant added that he also issued an administrative circular ordering that negative orders should not be issued in cases where lawyers were unable to attend due to transportation difficulties caused by the closure of metro stations.
When Singh suggested that the matter could be taken up judicially if administrative efforts yielded no results, the ICJ agreed.
“Yes, by lunch, if nothing happens… we will look into this matter,” he said.
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The development comes amid tight security arrangements in the national capital in the wake of protests by Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) supporters, prompting the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to close 16 metro stations, including the Supreme Court, Rajiv Chowk, Central Secretariat, Mandi House, ITO and Khan Market, until further orders due to security concerns.
The closure of the stations disrupted the access of litigants, lawyers and court staff to the Supreme Court, with members of the Bar Association expressing concerns about delays in attending court proceedings.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court refused to entertain an oral petition seeking suo motu intervention in allegations of police excesses during the ongoing protests, with the CJI noting that the court did not have enough time to examine videos of the incidents. Separately, the Delhi High Court agreed to hear two public interest cases seeking an independent investigation into the alleged use of excessive force by police during the protests, and ordered authorities to retain video footage and other records pending further study.
