The temporary closure of the Supreme Court Metro Station, ordered amid the ongoing student protest in the national capital, was mentioned before Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Thursday, with Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Vikas Singh urging the Court to intervene, saying the shutdown was causing significant inconvenience to lawyers, Registry staff and litigants.
Mentioning the issue before the Bench, Mr. Singh said that while he appreciated the security concerns, a complete closure of the metro station was unnecessary. He suggested that commuters could instead be screened at the station exit, allowing lawyers, Registry staff and other authorised persons to access the Supreme Court while preventing crowding outside the premises.
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“I can understand the security that they don’t want people to assemble. But with the Metro, there is one advantage. When people come out of the train, there is an exit point where people can be screened. People having proximity cards or Registry staff can be permitted to go, while the rest can be asked to take another train. So people will be able to take the train also. It’s affecting us…Otherwise, Your Lordships may have to intervene on the judicial side.”
Responding, CJI Surya Kant assured the Bar that the Court was closely monitoring the situation. He noted that directions had already been issued to ensure that no adverse orders are passed on account of non-appearance owing to the disruption. The Chief Justice further stated:
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“If by lunch time something does not happen to open it, I will intervene. We have issued that no adverse orders are passed today for non-appearance. If by lunch something does not happen, we will look into it.”