'Lives At Peril': Rajasthan High Court Bars All Courts From Granting Protection To Persons Responsible For Defects In Its Building
The Rajasthan High Court has barred all courts in the State from granting protection to any person or officer allegedly responsible for structural defects in its building at Jodhpur.
The division bench of Dr. Justice Pushpendra Singh Bhati and Justice Rekha Borana observed that any such order, if passed, shall be deemed to be of no effect, unless passed by the Division Bench of the Court or the Supreme Court.
“Any order passed for the purpose of protection, or which has the effect of impeding the investigation or proceedings initiated against persons found responsible, shall be viewed by this Court with utmost seriousness, and no such order shall operate until permitted by this Court.”
Furthermore, the Court directed all the concerned authorities to be personally present on the next hearing, along with the record reflecting the action taken against erring officials, the record of rehabilitation and remedial measures taken till date, and the future action plan.
The Court held that based on such records, on the next date, it might consider passing strictures and initiating contempt proceedings against such officials, who did not adequately deal with such erring officials.
The Court was taking into considering the submissions made by various stakeholders in the matter.
"This Court is of the considered view that the gravity of the situation occasioned by the structural deficit of the building, which places at peril the lives of the common man and of the law fraternity, calls for immediate and urgent attention."
The Court took into account the report submitted by IIT Bombay, dated August 20, 2026, as per which the existing dome was repairable and restorable to its original strength. Further, it was submitted that even though the Central Dome area was not presently at immediate risk of collapse, it required time-bound repairing as per the National Building Code, 2005.
Another expert from IIT Jodhpur, engaged in the structural auditing exercise since 2023, submitted that it was preferable if the restoration work was undertaken in a single comprehensive exercise, rather in piecemeal basis.
The Court also noted the “unduly casual manner” of the Managing Director. RSRDC, while addressing the Court, of the fact that since he had only recently assumed charge, he was not aware of the manner in which chloride ingress and other structural defects had affected the building. The Court further observed,
“The Managing Director was unable to satisfactorily explain what steps the organisation was taking to ensure that similar defects do not recur in other government buildings, or how RSRDC, which functions across a wide range of projects, proposes to ensure that such structural deficiencies, entailing grave risk and cost to the common man and the public exchequer, are not repeated.”
The Court also expressed grave concern regarding the pace of investigation and lackadaisical attitude of the investigating officers in the matter, which was met with assurance by the concerned officials in expediting the investigation.
Furthermore, the Court sought State's response on a suggestion made by the Bar on, whether a dedicated team of engineers was required to be constituted for overseeing judicial infrastructure to prevent any recurrent of such a situation.
Accordingly, while making the aforementioned observations, the matter has been next listed for September 15, 2026.
Title: Suo Moto, Structural Integrity, Safety And Imminent Peril To Human Lives Arising Fro The Central Dome And Allied Defects In The Building Of The Rajasthan High Court, Principal Seat, Jodhpur.