Frontline workers at courts hit hard by 2nd wave

New Delhi: Even as countless lawyers continue to fight cases of the capital's Covid-19 situation in courts, several from the legal field have succumbed to the virus with six trial courts and Delhi High Court Bar Association reporting around 100 deaths among their members even as colleagues and family members mourn the vacuum left after their passing away.

As per data available with several trial court bar associations, at least 15 of its member lawyers, both young and elderly, have died after contracting the virus. However, a lawyer can be a member of multiple bar associations at once.

At the Tis Hazari courts, at least 15 bar members have died during the second Covid-19 wave. At Patiala House court complex, around 25 lawyers have succumbed to the virus. Meanwhile, at Dwarka district court, at least eight lawyers have died. Similarly, Saket court also recorded as many as 50 of its lawyers passing away. Rohini and Karkardooma court too saw at least 25 deaths.

Delhi High Court Bar Association also saw around 30 to 35 of its member lawyers passing away due to Covid, which includes those between the ages of 35 and 50.

In addition, several judicial officers or judges across trial courts have tested positive for Covid in the second wave with official records showing that Tis Hazari court saw eight officers testing Covid positive. Rouse Avenue court saw 23 officers being infected with the virus. At Karkardooma court too, 41 judicial officers were on leave from February onwards due to self-isolation/quarantine. Seven officers tested positive for Covid at Saket court. At least three officers have died in the recent past.

An office-bearer at Patiala House Court, requesting anonymity, said that lawyer WhatsApp groups are nowadays filled with condolences messages as at least two to three of his colleagues are passing away each day due to Covid.

Advocate Anil Kumar Tomar, President of Tis Hazari Court Bar Association, said that despite work on emergency cases ongoing, "there is a mundane and a dull atmosphere among the legal fraternity".

Meanwhile, advocate SS Gupta (61) who died on April 27 of Covid-related infections is remembered by his colleagues as an accessible mentor. "We used to meet at court premises every day and quickly became like a family, I used to consult him at every stage of my career... he had 27 years of experience, even in his last moments, I fought with the doctor to see him once and told him he would be fine," said advocate RS Nirwan.

Advocate Puneet Ahluwalia remembers his 78-year-old father, advocate SP Ahluwalia, as an uptight and brilliant CBI prosecutor who fought important cases like the Connaught Place shootout and Nithari serial murders. "At his condolence meeting, several judges and colleagues said that he was a brilliant mind who has left a vacuum in the legal world," he said. Advocate Saurabh Goyal, whose father, advocate Rishi Prakash Gupta (74), died recently of Covid, said that in his legal practice since 1984, his father had earned immense respect from colleagues and "never worked for money but his own passion".

Advocate Shailendra Singh, Secretary at Patiala House Bar Association, said since April 18 at least 10 lawyers are being lost to Covid every day. "A young colleague of mine, 25-year-old advocate Deepak Sehrawat, died recently, he was a budding lawyer and doing good cases… another lawyer had recently renovated his chamber but died even before using it," he said.

At Rohini Court, advocate Pardeep Khatri recalls his colleague advocate Jagdev (55) as a family member who also hailed from Narela like him.

Advocate VK Singh, President of Karkardooma Bar Association, said they are providing compensation of one lakh to kin of the deceased lawyers. "Neither have we been given priority vaccination nor has the government done anything for us," another lawyer said.