Packed Courtroom, Melee Outside During Hearing on Aryan's Bail Plea at HC

Unprecedented crowding in the courtroom of Justice N W Sambre ahead of hearing on Aryan Khan’s bail plea in the Bombay High Court on Tuesday prompted the judge to leave the dais for a few minutes. The small courtroom on the first floor of the HC building was chock-full of lawyers and reporters before the afternoon session started.

The court was to hear the bail application of Aryan, actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son who was arrested in an alleged drug seizure case on October 3, listed at serial number 57.

Looking at the swelling crowd, Justice Sambre told his staff to ask the lawyers who did not have any matter listed immediately in his court to leave. “COVID-19 safety protocols are not being followed in this crowd. We need to follow the SOP (standard operating procedure),” the judge said.

He then got up from his chair and stepped out into the corridor at the back while the court staff and police personnel requested people to leave. The reporters were also asked to go out, but were let in again after Justice Sambre returned a few minutes later.

The courtroom then remained almost empty till Aryan Khan’s application was called out a little after 4 pm. Again, crowd swelled, and Aryan’s counsel Mukul Rohatgi, who had commenced argument, had to stop every few minutes due to the noise.

In the melee outside, the latch on the courtroom’s door was broken, a court staff said later. The police had to shout that the judge had barred those not related to the case from entering. Senior counsel Amit Desai and advocate Satish Maneshinde told the court that their juniors and clerks were not able to enter through the crowd.

The judge said there was not much he could do about the situation, but advocates’ clerks could be allowed to bring in case papers from the entrance in the rear, meant for the entry and exit of judges.

But Desai and Maneshinde said they would manage, and after a while case papers were brought inside. The hearing on the bail plea went on till 6 pm and would continue on Wednesday afternoon. Later, the court staff were seen fixing the broken latch.

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