Chandigarh, January 17
Over 450 officers/officials, including 64 judges in the subordinate judiciary, have tested positive for Covid in Punjab, Haryana and the High Court.
Available information suggests over 200 court staffers and 50 judicial officers have tested positive in Punjab. In Haryana, the situation is grim with nearly 70 staffers and 14 judicial officers down with Covid. No less than 115 officers and officials of the Punjab and Haryana High Court have caught the virus till date.
The situation could have been worse, but for the timely action of switching over to restrictive functioning mode by High Court Chief Justice Ravi Shanker Jha and other judges for itself, and the issuance of guidelines for the subordinate judiciary.
It is believed that both — the High Court and the PGI — have the “heaviest footfall” in the city. The situation is now being closely monitored by a special committee headed by Justice Ajay Tewari. The committee holds weekly meetings with the Bar members, among others, before submitting its recommendations to the Chief Justice
Amidst apprehensions of a third wave, the High Court a fortnight back had ordered virtual mode of hearing cases. An order issued by the High Court on January 3 made it clear that the decision was taken following a sudden surge in Covid cases in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh. The order followed recommendation of the “special committee” in consultation with the Additional Solicitor General, Punjab and Haryana Advocate Generals, UT senior standing counsel and public prosecutor. The order specified that hearing of the cases in the High Court would be held through virtual mode/ videoconferencing from January 5 and the present system of filing, listing and mentioning of cases would continue as such.
The High Court had initially shifted to virtual mode of hearing in March 2020.
Nawanshahr judge in self-isolation
Nawanshahr District and Sessions Judge KS Bajwa is among the 50 judicial officers, who had tested positive for Covid. Judge Bajwa has reportedly on Monday asked all persons, who had came in contact with him in the recent past, to isolate themselves and undergo a Covid test
450 judicial officials test positive in Punjab, Haryana courts; 115 from Punjab and Haryana High Court
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