04 January,2018 10:40 AM IST | Mumbai | Vinod Kumar Menon
Shopkeepers in Dadar-Naigaon downed their shutters in fear. Pics/Pradeep Dhivar, Ashish Raje
The protests yesterday impacted the functioning of courts and even affected undertrials lodged in prisons across the state. Most courts in the city wore a deserted look. Advocate Dinesh Tiwari, at Esplanade court, said, "Very few matters were taken on board. Overall attendance was 10 to 20 per cent in the lower courts, as many lawyers were off duty. Most cases were adjourned and court staff that turned up was busy completing urgent paperwork."
Lack of cops
Most magisterial and sessions courts had a similar day as undertrials were not brought for their regular hearing. A high-ranking prison official admitted the protests did have an impact on the routine of taking undertrials to courts. "Around 2,400 prisoners were to be produced in courts across the state, but due to lack of guards, only 292 prisoners were produced." In Mumbai, hundreds of undertrials escorted daily to various lower courts, session courts and special courts in the city had to stay back in their cells.
On bandobast duty
"Due to the bandh, the escort policemen were deployed on bandobast duty and hence, undertrials were not taken to courts," said an official. Jail officials confirmed cops usually take 250 to 275 undertrials to courts in the city every day. The officer mentioned that bail orders received from court were executed. The protests also impacted the number of physical documents registered at various sub-registrar offices that witnessed a comparatively lesser turnout. With online service available as an option, stamp duty payment and online registration work was only partially impacted.
2,400 Number of undertrials meant to be produced across state yesterday
Download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get updates on all the latest and trending stories on the go
