Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Thursday said the Supreme Court would intervene if the Supreme Court Metro station was not reopened by the afternoon, after the issue of restricted access to the court premises was raised by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) during court proceedings.
The issue was mentioned before the Bench of CJI Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana by SCBA President Vikas Singh, who highlighted the difficulties being faced by advocates, Registry officials, litigants and court staff following the closure of several Delhi Metro stations due to the ongoing student protests in the national capital over alleged examination paper leaks.
Singh submitted that instead of completely shutting the Supreme Court Metro station, the authorities could permit lawyers and Registry staff holding valid Supreme Court proximity cards to use the station after appropriate security screening. He suggested that passengers could be screened at the exit point, allowing authorised persons to access the court while maintaining security arrangements.
Responding to the concern, the CJI said the Supreme Court administration had already taken up the matter with the concerned authorities and was exploring possible solutions. He stated that if the issue remained unresolved by lunchtime, he would personally intervene and, if necessary, the Court could examine the matter on the judicial side.
The Chief Justice also informed the Bar that he had issued administrative directions to all judges that no adverse judicial orders should be passed on Thursday solely because advocates were unable to appear in court due to transportation disruptions arising from the protests. The direction was intended to ensure that litigants were not prejudiced by circumstances beyond their control and that procedural fairness was maintained despite the logistical difficulties.
Singh suggested that if the administrative exercise failed to produce a solution, judicial intervention might become necessary. The CJI agreed, assuring the Bar that the Court would take appropriate steps if the Metro station remained closed.
The development came after the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) closed 16 Metro stations across Central and New Delhi, including the Supreme Court Metro station, Rajiv Chowk, Central Secretariat, ITO, Mandi House and Khan Market, citing security arrangements in view of the ongoing student protests. While interchange facilities continued at certain stations, the closures significantly disrupted access to the Apex Court for lawyers, litigants and court personnel.
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