Security beefed up at court complex in Coimbatore

COIMBATORE: Following the acid attack on the combined court complex premises in the city on Thursday, police have posted a total of 60 personnel at all the five gates, including the small gate behind the chief judicial magistrate court, of the complex and started screening people entering the premises.
Principal district judge K Rajasekar also issued a circular stating temporary changes in the rules for entry and exit of the public into the premises.
Lawyers, litigants, police and others, presently, use all the five gates to enter and exit the court premises. Similarly, college students and the public who want to go to Arts College Road from State Bank Road use the small gate — the wicket gate — located near Ishwarya Complex at Gopalapuram.
On Thursday, P Sivakumar, 40, threw acid on his 35-year-old wife Kavitha at the waiting hall of judicial magistrate court -I. The woman suffered 85% of burn injuries and was battling for life at the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH). The police had arrested Sivakumar.
Following the incident, principal district judge Rajasekar, chief judicial magistrate N Sundaram, deputy commissioner of police (north range) G Chandeesh, assistant commissioner of police (Kattoor range) T H Ganesh and secretary of the Coimbatore bar association K Kalaiyarasan met on Friday and discussed measures to boost security in the court complex. Subsequently, a circular was issued mentioning changes in the rules of entry and exit into the complex effective from March 27.
From Monday, advocates and staff members can enter the premises through all the gates while public and litigants can enter only through the gate 4 (to the Annapoorna Gowrishankar Hotel) and the wicket gate. The public would be frisked and their baggage would be checked at the gates.
“These are temporary arrangements and further changes will be made after discussion with the bar members,” said CBA secretary K Kalaiyarasan.