Frame structural audit policy for all court complexes in 3 months

Bombay high court on Monday gave the Bharatiya Janata Party-led state government three months to frame a policy for conducting structural audits of court complexes and residential quarters of judicial officers at regular intervals.

The division bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Amjad Sayed observed that the Mazgaon court building was required to be vacated just 18 years after its construction as it had become dangerous.

Similarly, the bench observed that a court building in Thane had to vacated for carrying out urgent structural repairs.

Based on the earlier orders issued by the high court, the state government has already completed fire-safety audit of 403 court complexes while fire plexes is underway.

The court has now directed the government to complete the fire safety audit in six months and install required fire-safety equipment in all court complexes in the next six months.

Acting on a bunch of petitions and public interest litigations (PILS) alleging lack of infrastructure in various courts and the court also directed the gov ernment to provide police pro tection.

“It is the duty of the state to provide round-the-clock secu rity in the form of police protec tion to all the court complexes and residential quarters of the judicial officers in the state,” the bench observed.

It has now directed all the dis trict superintendents and com missioners of police to convene meetings in three months with respective principal district judges and in-charge of tribu nals and ascertain and deploy the exact number of police per sonnel to secure court com plexes and residential quarters

“The right to have a clean and pollution-free environment is part of the fundamental right guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India,” said the court while directing the state government to ensure that court complexes are kept clean