The Kerala High Court Registrar General on Saturday denied the reports that a judge and a few court staff had gone into quarantine after it emerged that a police officer who visited the court in connection with a case tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.

Sophy Thomas, Registrar General, said neither the judge nor any staff had been advised to go into quarantine.

Earlier in the day, reports started appearing in social and other media that a judge and a few court staff had gone into quarantine after the police officer who visited the High Court on June 17 tested positive for the virus.

According to the report, the police officer had visited the court to hand over a case-related communication to a special prosecutor. It was reported that he had handed over the communication to the prosecutor, who, in turn, submitted it to the judge concerned for his perusal.

Judicial sources said the District Collector had spoken to the judge concerned and informed the Registrar General that the judge and the staff need not go into quarantine as they had not come into direct contact with the police officer.

A meeting of High Court judges, the Advocate General and other stakeholders will be held on Monday to discuss the issue.

Advocates’ plea to CJ

Meanwhile, the Kerala High Court Advocates’ Association requested the Chief Justice to discontinue physical sittings and physical filings in the High Court till June 30. In a letter, the association said that the reopening of the court could be considered based on the results of the tests of the primary contacts of the police officer. Case admissions could be considered through videoconferencing.

The association is of the view that physical sitting would be risky at this juncture.