New Delhi, 23 July (H.S.): The Supreme Court Bar Association has filed a petition in the Supreme Court regarding the closure of several Delhi Metro stations. During the hearing, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant said that the court would intervene if the matter was not resolved by Thursday afternoon.

Supreme Court Bar Association President Vikas Singh mentioned the issue before a bench headed by the Chief Justice and said that the closure of Metro stations was causing difficulties for lawyers and litigants in reaching the court on time. He requested that at least lawyers, litigants and court staff should be allowed to travel through the stations.

The Chief Justice said that he had already issued directions that no adverse orders should be passed in cases where lawyers or parties are unable to appear due to the situation. He further said that security screening could be conducted while exiting the Metro gates and people carrying Supreme Court identification cards should be allowed to proceed.

The issue arose after the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) shut down around 16 Metro stations, including the Supreme Court Metro station, until further notice as a precautionary measure in view of the ongoing protest at Jantar Mantar and concerns related to security and law and order.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar