Delhi’s Patiala House and Rouse Avenue courts will conduct all listed civil and criminal matters virtually on October 10, while the city’s other district court complexes will remain functional amid security restrictions linked to a protest at Jantar Mantar, according to directions issued by the Delhi High Court.
The order covers all matters listed before the two court complexes, including cases involving litigants, advocates, witnesses and accused persons. Judicial officers posted at Patiala House and Rouse Avenue who are unable to reach the court premises may also conduct proceedings online.
The High Court has directed all district courts in Delhi not to pass adverse orders solely because litigants, lawyers, witnesses or accused persons are unable to appear. Matters requiring urgent consideration may instead be adjourned to a short date.
The arrangement also changes how undertrial prisoners will be produced before Delhi’s district courts on Saturday. All undertrial prisoners across the district court system will be produced through virtual mode, according to the directions reported by the Times of India.
The measures affect the functioning of two major court complexes in central Delhi while preserving the scheduled operation of all seven district court complexes in the capital. The court complexes named for the postponed National Lok Adalat are Tis Hazari, Karkardooma, Patiala House, Rohini, Saket, Dwarka and Rouse Avenue.
The National Lok Adalat scheduled for October 10 has been postponed to October 25. Such hearings provide a forum for resolving eligible disputes through settlement, making the change relevant to parties whose matters were listed for the original date.
The directions underline the role of virtual proceedings as a continuity mechanism when access to court premises is affected by public-order or security arrangements. They also seek to prevent a disruption in physical access from producing adverse procedural consequences for people involved in pending cases.
The postponed Lok Adalat will now be held across the seven district court complexes on October 25, while virtual proceedings at Patiala House and Rouse Avenue are scheduled for October 10.
