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Dec 09, 2021

'Low-Intensity' Explosion at Delhi's Rohini Court, Constable Injured

The fire department said it had received information about the explosion at 10:40 am, following which seven fire tenders were rushed to the spot.
Police officers and others at the Rohini court complex in Delhi following a shootout September 24, 2021. Photo: PTI/Kamal Singh

New Delhi: In yet another instance that will spark concerns about safety of court complexes, a low-intensity blast was reported at Delhi’s Rohini court on Thursday morning, resulting in minor injuries to a police constable.

While news agency PTI said that initial reports suggest that a laptop in the court exploded, the police said the cause of the explosion is under investigation. Proceedings in the court have been suspended, officials said.

According to the Indian Express, the impact of the explosion led to a small portion of the courtroom floor caving in. The deputy commissioner of police (Rohini district) Pranav Tayal told the newspaper that forensic science labororatory (FSL) experts have been called in to ascertain the exact cause of the explosion.

The fire department said it had received information about the explosion at 10:40 am, following which seven fire tenders were rushed to the spot.

The blast took place inside courtroom 102 of metropolitan magistrate where traffic-related cases are dealt with, according to the Indian Express. “There was something inside a laptop bag and it exploded inside the court,” a senior police officer told the newspaper.

The report also says that the injured constable was identified as Rajiv Kumar, who is posted with the Sultanpuri police station. He was taken to the Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital for treatment, the Indian Express report.

The explosion in the Rohini court comes just months after a deadly shootout that resulted in the assassination of gangster Jitendra Mann alias Gogi. On September 24, armed attackers allegedly from a rival gang opened fire at Gogi, who was brought to court for a hearing. The attackers were dressed as lawyers. They were killed in retaliatory firing by the police.

Even at that juncture, the Supreme Court was already seized of the issue of safety and security of court complexes and judicial officers. A bench led by Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana took suo motu cognizance of the issue after a judge in Jharkhand’s Dhanbad was killed when a vehicle veered towards him and knocked him down in late July.

The explosion at Rohini court on Thursday will only heighten these concerns.

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