District, trial courts in Karnataka to reopen in phased manner from September 28

BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Saturday issued revised Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for district and trial courts that will come into effect from September 28.

According to the SOPs, all district and trial courts will reopen in a phased manner with partitions put up around the witness box and the dock for accused, for recording of evidence.

First, 55 taluk courts will reopen from September 28. Next, all courts in 13 districts -- Davanagere, Haveri, Chitradurga, Chikkaballapur, Raichur, Bidar, Ramanagara, Udupi, Gadag, Kodagu-Madikeri, Koppal, Chamarajanagar and Yadgir -- will reopen from October 5. All courts in the remaining districts will reopen from October 12.

High Court Registrar General Rajendra Badamikar said courts can physically record evidence of a maximum of five witnesses in the morning session every working day. Entry of litigants into court complexes will continue to remain prohibited. However, witnesses and accused (on bail) will be allowed entry on production of a negative report of rapid antigen test of the same date.