Lucknow: As authorities across the country
brace for the fall out of Ayodhya verdict, the court which
will pronounce the eagerly awaited judgement this Friday too
is leaving nothing to chance on security preparedness.
Judges at the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court
and lawyers have worked out a plan to impose strict
restrictions on movement of people in the court premises on
September 23 and 24.
The security for the three judges related to the case --
Justices S U Khan, Sudhir Agarwal and D V Sharma -- has also
been almost doubled, sources in the Oudh Bar Association
(OBA) said. Force deployment at their residences has also been
increased keeping in view the sensitive nature of the case,
they said.
A high-level meeting of senior judges, including Justice
Pradeep Kant and Justice Umanath Singh, OBA representatives
and designated senior advocates was held here to finetune the
plan to ensure there was no law and order problem in the court
premises on the eve of verdict and on the judgement day.
CRPF, PAC and civil police in large numbers are already
present in strength in and outside the court premises keeping
a hawk`s vigil.
OBA sources said as per the drill to impose restrictions
on the movement of people in the court premises on September
23 and 24, the lawyer members of the Association may be issued
special Identity cards.
Another proposal made is that litigants and advocates
coming from other districts in connection with cases listed on
these two days should be issued separate passes for gaining
entry.
It has been suggested that barring the vehicles of the
OBA members (with passes) no other vehicle should be allowed
in the parking lot of the court which has nine gates, sources
said, adding that outside the gates only vehicles of security
agencies should be permitted to be parked.
For other vehicles, the administration will be asked to
make parking arrangements elsewhere.
The meeting has resolved to cooperate with the
administration and police in the security arrangements and
make changes, if required, in consultation with them.
An official notice for these arrangements is likely to be
put up tomorrow after getting an approval from the Chief
Justice of the Allahabad high court Justice S I Rebello who is
also expected to stay on in Lucknow till September 24, sources
said.
Security has also been stepped up in and around the "Ram
Janmbhoomi-Babri mosque section" created separately in the
court premises ever since the 60-year-old suit had been
pending in the court for keeping records, documents and books
relating to the case.
There could also be a restriction on the entry of lawyers
and media in the court hall where the verdict would be
pronounced and that only counsels of the parties concerned
would be allowed entry, sources added.
PTI
