The Principal District Sessions Court in Karnataka’s Mysuru city was closed on Wednesday after a lawyer tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The 40-year-old criminal defence lawyer was confirmed to have COVID-19 around 6 pm on Tuesday evening.
Speaking to TNM, Mysuru Bar Association President Anand Kumar said that the lawyer gave his swab samples after he showed symptoms of cough and cold. The Principal District Sessions judge, Raghavendra Husur, on Wednesday held a meeting via video conference with all the judges and office bearers of the Mysuru Bar Association to discuss the matter.
There are over 50 court halls in the two buildings in the court’s premises. The affected lawyer had been to around 15 of these court halls for work and he last appeared in court two day ago. The judges and Bar Association members held a meeting today to discuss what should be done next,” Anand Kumar said.
The Mysuru City Corporation has already begun sanitisation of the two buildings. The Mysuru Deputy Commissioner’s office is currently tracing all the lawyer’s primary and secondary contacts, who will be quarantined.
“For two days, all employees of the court and even the policemen who provide security have been asked to stay at home. The lawyer came into contact with judges, desk clerks and also security personnel. The DC’s office has said that contact tracing would be completed in a couple of days. The judges decided in today’s meeting that all judges and desk clerks would have to get tested,” Anand Kumar added.
He also said that the decision to get all the judges and desk clerks tested would be presented to Deputy Commissioner Abhiram G Shankar later on Wednesday, who will take a call.
As of Tuesday evening, Mysuru had 210 COVID-19 patients lodged in isolation facilities and the district has reported a total of 12 deaths so far.