Delhi district courts will remain functional on October 10, but all civil and criminal matters listed at the Patiala House and Rouse Avenue court complexes will be heard virtually because of anticipated security restrictions in central Delhi linked to a protest at Jantar Mantar.
The arrangement follows directions issued by the Delhi High Court. The court has instructed that proceedings at the two complexes be conducted through virtual mode, while judicial officers who are unable to reach the court premises may also conduct hearings online.
The directions cover all civil and criminal matters listed before Patiala House and Rouse Avenue courts on Saturday. The High Court has also directed all district courts in Delhi not to pass adverse orders solely because litigants, advocates, witnesses or accused persons are unable to appear in person.
Where a matter requires urgent consideration but cannot proceed as scheduled, it may be adjourned to a short date, according to the directions reported by the Times of India. This provision is intended to ensure that cases affected by movement restrictions do not face adverse consequences because participants cannot reach court.
The virtual arrangement will also apply to undertrial prisoners. All undertrial prisoners across Delhi’s district courts are to be produced through virtual mode on October 10, rather than being physically brought to the court complexes.
The decision changes how court users will access proceedings at two of the capital’s major judicial complexes for the day. Litigants and lawyers with matters listed at Patiala House or Rouse Avenue will need to follow the virtual hearing arrangements applicable to their cases. The directions also protect witnesses and accused persons from adverse orders arising from non-appearance linked to the restrictions.
The remaining district court complexes in Delhi will remain functional on Saturday. The seven complexes covered by the separate National Lok Adalat schedule 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. The event had been planned across all seven district court complexes and will now take place on the revised date, according to the reported court directions.
The immediate administrative response combines continued court functioning with remote access at the two complexes expected to face the greatest operational constraints. Proceedings at Patiala House and Rouse Avenue will be conducted virtually on October 10, while the postponed Lok Adalat is scheduled to resume across the seven complexes on October 25.
