SILF moves Delhi HC on security concerns HC issues notice to Government Copy of the Petition is available

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notices to the central and Delhi governments after taking note of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Society of Indian Law Firms (SILF) seeking adequate security arrangements against terror attacks in the national capital..The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notices to the central and Delhi governments after taking note of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Society of Indian Law Firms (SILF) seeking adequate security arrangements against terror attacks in the national capital..The division bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Sanjiv Khanna has directed the Respondents to file their reply within six weeks..Senior lawyer and President of SILF Lalit Bhasin represented SILF before the Delhi High Court. ASG A.S. Chandhioke appeared for the centre while Counsel Jatan Singh appeared for Government of Delhi..The Petition has been filed in the wake of various terrorist attacks in the Country and the recent audacious terrorist attack in the heart of the City of Delhi on September 07, 2011 at the gates of the Delhi High Court..The Petition was earlier heard on September 22, when Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw took note of the petition and stated that the issue was related to public interest and should be referred to the division bench..The Petitioner has raised questions about the role of the governments in providing security to its citizens in the matter of their life and liberty guaranteed by Article 21 of the Constitution without which the other fundamental rights are incapable of being exercised..In the Petition, the Petitioner has requested the Court to direct the governments to take adequate security measures including deployment of the Rapid Action Force and the National Security Guard (NSG); to permanently station a battle ready unit/battalion of NSG in New Delhi; to assist, train and equip the police and security agencies in preparing themselves for threats such as terrorist attacks; to urgently and in a time bound manner formulate and implement a ‘Crisis Management Plan’; to install CCTV cameras in all the courts; to update the disaster management agencies and many more measures..The PIL will now come up for hearing on December 14, 2011..The Delhi High Court which has delivered path breaking judgments like the Naz foundation and inclusion of office of CJI under Right to Information Act, is sure to take the governments to task and the fact that the matter was referred to Division Bench testifies this.