Entrance to the Howrah civil court. Pictures by Gopal Senapati

The state PWD has started building a new Howrah judicial complex, meeting a long standing demand of the lawyers of the Howrah court. The need for a new judicial complex was felt way back in 1994, when a constable and a court employee were killed as chunks of concrete fell on them from the ceiling of the court lockup during peak office hour. Several others, including constables and court employees were also injured in the incident. Advocates and law clerks of the court had gone on a week-long cease-work demanding a new complex then.

“The construction of a new judicial complex in Howrah has been pending for long. It is good that the PWD has started work at last. Most of the courtrooms in Howrah are small but the number of cases is increasing every year. Besides, if all the courts are housed under a single roof, it will make things easy,” said a senior judge of Howrah court.

Presently, different courts are scattered at different places. The civil court is right opposite the Howrah Municipal Corporation, the criminal court is a little way ahead, opposite the Howrah GPO, the corporation court is within the HMC premises while the consumer court is on Round Tank Lane, about 1.5 km away from these courts. Sanatan Mukherjee, senior criminal lawyer, said, “Howrah court was initially run from the Old Collectorate building after Howrah was separated from Hooghly. The number of cases were then a handful. Later with the increase in both civil and criminal cases, a number of courtrooms were built but without any planning.”

Undertrials wait near the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court

The new judicial complex proposes to bring all these courts under a single roof on 24 cottah of land on MG Road. The G+10 building will accommodate all the nine criminal court rooms, two SDO courts, and a Chief Judicial Magistrate’s office primarily. Gradually, the civil court will also be shifted to the new judicial complex. The basement will be used for car parking. The ground floor will house the Government Record (GR) section, police lock-up, eateries and shops. The courtrooms will be accommodated on the fifth, sixth and seventh floors. Each floor will have 10,000 sq ft floor area that can accommodate toilets, drinking water and other civic amenities apart from the court rooms.

The court lock-up, that was on the ground floor of the office of the Howrah Superintendent of Police (SP), rural, was shifted to the Red Court Building opposite the criminal court after chunks of concrete fell from the ceiling. The lock-up will now be accommodated in the ground floor of the new building. The consumer court that now functions from a room at Round Tank Lane will also be accommodated in the new judicial complex. “Most of the people do not know where the consumer court is. People seeking justice in consumer court often come to Howrah court to file cases,” said a member of the Howrah Bar Association. A total of Rs 35 crore has been sanctioned for the complex, of which Rs 29 crore is allotted for the construction of the building and Rs 6 crore for electricity.

We are happy that the construction of a new complex has started at last. Lawyers, law clerks, court employees and people visiting the court have been suffering for a long time in the absence of a proper judicial complex. Small and stuffy courtrooms, absence of potable water and latrines made people miserable during the long court hours. The new judicial complex with all public amenities will bring relief to them,” said Samir Basu Roy Choudhury, president, Criminal Court Bar Library.

Lawyers often share tables

The parking lot at the Howrah Court

Food stalls in the court premises

Most of the rooms in the present Howrah court are small and judges, advocates and people seeking justice are all crammed into these small rooms. “The CJM’s court also functions from a small room. These court rooms were adequate earlier when cases were much fewer in number. But now with cases mounting each passing year, the space is abysmally small. On days when the number of cases scheduled for hearing is high, even advocates don’t find seats in the court room,” said Prakash Bhattacharya, a lawyer.

The senior judge said that it was not only imperative that the judicial complex be built as soon as possible but care should be taken to illuminate it properly and get it air-conditioned too. “During sweltering heat in summer, when judges, advocates and their clients have to spend hours inside the court they sweat profusely. In such a situation, it is not possible to run the court proceedings properly,” he said. After much persuasion the district judge’s court was air-conditioned recently, he added.

The plight of those who visit the court seeking bail or other judicial relief is worse. They have to wait outside the courtroom under the sun or torrential rain. Recently, a shade has been constructed for them. “Only a shade is not enough. There should be seats for the undertrials too because a number of them are old and infirm. They should not be treated like criminals until and unless they are proved guilty,” said an advocate.

The condition of the other courts is no better. In most of the courts, people have to stand near the door of the courtroom waiting for their turn. Sometimes the number of cases is so high that the court lock-ups are full and policemen are seen standing near the door of the courtroom with the undertrials. “There has been a number of incidents when undertrials have fled the courtroom taking advantage of the situation. Not only is it necessary to expand the courtrooms, but the size of the court lock-ups too should be increased,” said Gautam Sarkar, a senior advocate. The complex should also house a computer room, copy section, record room, stenographer’s room, accounts department, cash section, police lockups for male and female inmates, malkhana, bar library, office of legal aid forum, a reception and a seminar hall.

The old court lock-up being demolished to make way for the new judicial complex

Provisions should be made for lawyers too. Presently, two or more lawyers share a table at the place designated for them while their clients remain standing for hours as there is no place for them to sit. “Clients often have to sign documents standing. We hope the lawyers, law clerks and their clients are accommodated properly in the new judicial complex,” said Mrinal Kanti Das, a law clerk.

Nearly a dozen shops, most of which are eateries, will also be accommodated on the first floor of the judicial complex. “The shops cater to the needs of lawyers, law clerks, clients and judges. We want them to be accommodated in the judicial complex,” said Samir Basu Roy Choudhury.

“We have started pulling down the dilapidated court lockup building. But before actual construction starts, the court rooms and lawyers’ shed that fall within the 24 cottah of land must be shifted elsewhere,” said Arup Bhattacharya, executive engineer, PWD, Howrah division. The members of the criminal bar library said that initially a building near the district magistrate’s bungalow was earmarked for shifting the lawyers.

“We have to build temporary rooms somewhere outside the proposed site of the judicial complex to accommodate the court rooms,” said a PWD engineer.