Delhi court virtual hearing arrangements will apply to all civil and criminal matters at the Patiala House and Rouse Avenue court complexes on October 10, following a Delhi High Court direction issued amid proposed protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The direction changes the mode of proceedings at the two court complexes but does not shut Delhi’s district courts. The Delhi High Court has clarified that all other district courts in the capital will remain open and continue their normal work on Saturday.
According to the notification cited in the direction, every civil and criminal matter listed at Patiala House and Rouse Avenue courts will be heard virtually. Judicial officers posted at the two complexes who are unable to reach the court premises will also be permitted to conduct proceedings through virtual mode.
The High Court has further directed all district courts in Delhi not to pass any adverse order solely because a plaintiff, accused person, lawyer or witness is unable to appear in a case on October 10. This protection covers cases in which a participant’s absence may otherwise affect the day’s proceedings.
Under the arrangement, undertrial prisoners in all Delhi district courts will be produced only through virtual mode on that day. The instruction applies across the district judiciary, while the specific shift to virtual hearings concerns all matters listed at the Patiala House and Rouse Avenue court complexes.
The decision follows proposed demonstrations against the Chief Election Commissioner. The source report also refers to a separate decision concerning Connaught Place, where traders were reported to have decided to keep the central Delhi commercial area closed on October 10 in view of the proposed protest. The court direction itself, however, concerns the operation of district courts and does not state that all court complexes will remain closed.
Patiala House and Rouse Avenue are among Delhi’s key judicial complexes, handling civil and criminal cases and serving litigants, lawyers, witnesses, accused persons and court staff. Moving proceedings online for a defined period allows judicial work to continue while reducing the need for physical movement to the two premises.
The order also distinguishes between access to court buildings and the continuation of judicial work. While the two specified complexes will use virtual proceedings, the rest of Delhi’s district courts are expected to remain open. The non-adverse-order instruction provides a safeguard for parties whose physical attendance may be affected by the situation surrounding the proposed demonstrations.
The virtual-hearing arrangement and related attendance directions apply on October 10. The notification does not indicate a broader suspension of district-court functioning beyond that date.
