Delhi High Court abolishes Beggars Court in National Capital

After its landmark ruling abolishing beggary/begging as a criminal offence in the National Capital Territory of Delhi, the Delhi High court has officially abolished Beggars Court.

. The Public Notice by the Court dated December 20, reads as follows,

. “ The MM (Beggars Court), Central, Kingsway Camp, Delhi stands abolished. “

. In August this year, a Division Bench of the High Court comprising its then Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar had declared the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, 1959 (Act), as it extended to Delhi, unconstitutional insofar as it criminalized beggary/begging.

. With the declaration that Sections 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12,13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 and 29 of the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, 1959, as it extended to Delhi, have been struck down, all prosecutions under the Act against persons alleged to have committed the offence of begging were also struck down by the High Court. The High Court has now abolished the Beggars Court pursuant to the ruling.

. Additionally, the Public Notice has also notified the transfer of 11 judicial officers with immediate effect.

. The Judicial Officers so transferred are:

. Shelly Arora Vijeta Singh Rawa Saumya Chauhan Harvinder Singh Arun Goel Ajay Kumar Malik Richa Parihar Preeti Parewa Swati Sharma Prigya Gupta Gopal Krishan . The order states that the concerned District & Sessions Judge will ensure that proper track is kept about the movement of cases from transferor court(s) to transferee court(s) due to above postings/transfers so that inconvenience is not caused to the lawyers and litigants due to such transfer of cases.

. The cases transferred would be duly notified on the website of District Courts as well as outside the transferor court(s).

. Read the complete notice below.

. Image Courtesy: The Indian Express

Delhi High Court abolishes Beggars Court in National Capital

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