With the sudden and steep rise in number of COVID-19 cases , the High Court of Karnataka has re-introduced restriction on entry of litigants into its three Benches at Bengaluru, Dharward, and Kalaburagi, and district and taluk courts in nine districts.
“Entry of litigants to the court complex will remain prohibited except when there is a specific order of the court permitting the presence of the litigants; and parties-in-person shall remain present only through videoconferencing,” said a notification issued by In-charge Registrar-General T.G. Shivashankare Gowda.
Entry of litigants is prohibited in all the trial courts in the districts of Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Ballari, Bidar, Dakshina Kannada, Hassan, Kalaburagi, Mysuru, and Tumakur.
Recording of evidence in all civil and criminal cases should be prohibited except in those cases where time-bound schedule has been fixed by the Supreme Court or the High Court, the notification stated while requesting the trial courts not to pass any adverse orders on the ground of absence of advocates and the accused who are on bail.
Interim orders extended
Meanwhile, a Division Bench headed by the Chief Justice extended all the interim orders (which are due to expire in the period between April, 17 and May 29, 2021), passed by the High Court (principal seat and Benches at Dharwad and Kalaburagi), all the district courts, civil courts, family courts, labour courts, industrial tribunals, and all other tribunals in the State over which the High Court has the power of superintendence, till May 29.
If any orders of eviction, dispossession or demolition have been passed by the High Court, district courts or civil courts, the same shall remain in abeyance till May 29, and parties can move for vacating such orders, the Bench said.
