Berhampur, Sept. 12: Members of the Ganjam Bar Association today condemned the recent terrorist attack on Delhi High Court and expressed concern over the lack of security in the district judge court complex here.

“The judicial officers and the practising lawyers generally deal with criminals. There is every possibility that we and the litigant public are vulnerable to attacks from criminals. We have requested the Ganjam district collector and the police for deployment of adequate forces in the court area,” Ganjam Bar Association secretary Jyoti Prasad Chotray said.

“There is no boundary wall in the court complex where eight courts — the court of the district judge, additional district judges, motor accident claims tribunal, chief judicial magistrate and others — are functioning. The land, where the court is situated, belongs to the revenue department and we have demanded it be handed over to the judicial department for construction of a boundary wall and a gate near the Kamapalli fish market,” Chotray said.

“We have already submitted a memorandum to the chief justice and three other judges of Orissa High Court during their recent visit to Berhampur to direct the authorities to shift the market from the present site as it obstructs the entrance to the court complex,” he said.

There are three public entry points to the court complex —the Kamapalli fish market, the treasury side and the back of the revenue divisional commissioner (southern division) office. The lawyers think that no boundary wall and no gate to the court complex would pose serious problems.

Chotray said he had written to the chief secretary on this.

“The chief secretary has already instructed commissioner of the Berhampur Municipal Corporation to construct the roads and we are expecting it soon. The corporation has decided to take up the work. But, there has been no progress on the boundary wall construction,” he said.