Lawyer Dies Of Heart Attack At Sessions Court: Rajasthan High Court Calls Lack Of Medical Facilities 'Alarming', Orders Immediate Action
Court complex is not just a building; it breathes and infuses life into ideals of justice, Court said.
The Rajasthan High Court has called for immediate action from the State Government to provide basic medical facilities in the Sessions Court Complex at Jodhpur, after noting that a lawyer unfortunately passed away due to lack of primary treatment after suffering from a heart attack. Calling the situation alarming, the bench of Justice Anoop Kumar Dhand directed: "The above narrated situation...
The Rajasthan High Court has called for immediate action from the State Government to provide basic medical facilities in the Sessions Court Complex at Jodhpur, after noting that a lawyer unfortunately passed away due to lack of primary treatment after suffering from a heart attack.
Calling the situation alarming, the bench of Justice Anoop Kumar Dhand directed:
"The above narrated situation is alarming. The respondent- State being welfare State is duty bound to provide basic medical facilities to the Lawyers, Presiding Officers, litigants and the general public visiting the Sessions Court Complex on a day-to- day basis".
A petition was filed by the High Court Advocates Association claiming that, since shifting to the new building complex of the Jodhpur High Court, the sessions court now operates from the old Jodhpur bench High Court complex. No medical staff has been deployed in the Janta Clinic of the current session complex. The Janta Clinic operated within the premises and provided adequate medical facilities to Advocates, Presiding officers, litigants, and the general public.
It was further argued that 9 members of the para/medic staff are required to be appointed, including one medical officer, two Grade II nursing staff, one family health worker, one pharmacist, one lab technician, two ward boys, and one sweeper.
The Association further claimed that currently only one Family Health Worker and one fourth-class employee have been appointed. It was claimed that the shortage in appointments is causing multiple practical difficulties.
It was also submitted that the Distrct and Sessions Judge of Jodhpur made multiple representations to the Department of Medical and Health to provide adequate medical facilities and staff. The petition also referred to the unfortunate demise of one lawyer, Jeewan Ram Choudhary, who passed away in the Sessions Court Complex after suffering a sudden heart attack and was unable to receive primary treatment due to a lack of medical staff.
The petitioner argued, "The medical facility within the Sessions Court complex is required to have adequate infrastructure and logistics should also clearly be in place in order to provide standard first line of medical care to those who may fall sick / ill in the said Court complex".
The petitioner relied on the case of Pradyuman Bisht v Union of India, arguing that the Apex Court had directed the High Courts and State Governments to ensure that essential emergency measures, including functional medical facilities, ambulances, and first-aid response systems, are immediately available.
As an interim measure, the bench directed the Principal Secretary of the Department of Medical and Health to deploy one Medical Officer, two Grade-II Nursing Staff, one Pharmacist, one Lab Technician, two Ward Boys, and one sweeper with immediate effect. The Department was also directed to detail one Ambulance to cater to any medical emergency, if so arises. Additionally, the District and Sessions Judge of Jodhpur was directed to ensure that a regular monitoring system is evolved and that basic facilities do not fall short of the necessary requirements.
The court also issued notice to the respondents.
Case Title: Rajasthan High Court Advocates Associates v State of Rajasthan, S.B. Civil Writ Petition No.19231/2026
For Petitioner: Advocate Nishant Bora
For Respondent: Additional Advocate General NS Rajpurohit