A wave of protests erupted at Saket Court after a staffer died by suicide, citing “excessive work pressure.” The strike was later called off following assurances and intervention by Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya.
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NEW DELHI: Employees of the Saket District Court on Saturday called off their proposed strike following a meeting with Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, held in the wake of the suicide of a court staffer allegedly caused by excessive work pressure.
The decision came after a two-hour meeting during which Justice Upadhyaya issued necessary directions addressing the demands raised by the protesting employees, including the recruitment of additional court staff to reduce workload, according to a circular issued by the District and Sessions Courts Employees Welfare Association (DSCEWA).
The protests erupted after Harish Singh Mahar, an Ahlmad (administrative clerk) posted in Courtroom 27 of the NI Act digital court of Judge Nandini Garg, died by suicide on Friday morning. Police said Mahar jumped from the fifth floor of Block A, North Wing of the Saket Court complex.
Mahar, who had a 60 per cent physical disability, left behind a suicide note in which he cited unbearable work pressure and mental distress as the reasons for taking the extreme step.
Following the incident, court staff staged protests inside the court complex, walking out of their rooms and announcing that they would abstain from work. The employees also met Principal District and Sessions Judge Gurvinder Pal Singh, urging immediate administrative action.
However, the judge reportedly advised them to file a writ petition, which further angered the staff. In response, the employees announced a boycott of the Lok Adalat proceedings scheduled for Saturday.
The situation de-escalated after the protesting employees were invited for a meeting with the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court.
In its circular, the DSCEWA stated:
“The Chief Justice of Delhi High Court, along with his companion lordships, heard our grievances for nearly two hours and passed necessary directions concerning all our demands.”
The association added that following the assurances received, the strike call had been withdrawn, and all staff members were requested to resume their duties.
Harish Singh Mahar was a resident of Faridabad and lived with his 94-year-old father. He had been working at the Saket Court complex for the past three months.
