Delhi HC resumes work amid tight security

A day after a bomb blast ripped through its reception complex, the Delhi high court on Thursday resumed proceedings amid tight security with lawyers and litigants being put through a stricter security check.

"We are requesting even lawyers to show their identity cards and submit themselves to a thorough security check in wake of the terror strike," a security personnel, manning one of the gates at the high court, said.

Every litigant could be seen going through the security check. However, very few litigants visited the high court.

The litigants on Thursday assembled at a make-shift reception counter in an New Delhi Municipal Corporation-run school near the Delhi high court building to get entry passes for witnessing court proceedings, an office bearer of the Delhi high court Bar  Association said.

"Five counters have been opened on Thursday and they have been functional since 9 am. Some computers have been installed and we are in the process of providing proper infrastructure for the staff so that litigants do not face difficulty in getting entry passes," said an official.

The terrorist had targetted the reception counter at gate no 5 of the high court where a bomb kept in a briefcase exploded killing 12 people.

"It was easier to find the new counter on Thursday as people are cooperative and showed us the way," Juhi, a litigant said. Eighty-year-old litigant Ram Prasad, said the route diversion made the task difficult for him.

"Because of the diversion of routes, I had to walk around a lot," said he. Two other litigants K P Diwedi and Yogesh Kumar, said, "We did not find any difficulty in getting passes from the new counters."