MANGAN, (IPR): The inaugural ceremony of the Annexe Court Building at Mangan
District Court was held at Mangan today marking a significant milestone for the
judicial infrastructure in the region.
The chief guest
of the function was Justice Biswanath Somadder-Chief Justice of the High Court
of Sikkim and the guests of honour were the judges of the High Court, Justice
Meenakshi Madan Rai and Justice Bhaskar Raj Pradhan.
Guests of
honour also included Bhim Hang Limboo, Minister for Buildings & Housing and
Labour departments, Pintso Namgyal Lepcha, Minister for Forest &
Environment, Mines & Geology and Science & Technology departments, who
also serves as the area MLA (Dzongu) and Raju Basnet, Minister for Law,
Legislative & Parliamentary Affairs, Education, and Sports & Youth
Affairs departments.
Additionally,
the event was attended by former Judge of the High Court of Sikkim, Sonam
Pintso Wangdi, currently chairperson of the Sikkim Police Accountability
Commission, Zilla Adhakshya Kado Lepcha, Judicial Officers from Mangan and
Gangtok, DC Mangan Anant Jain, SP Mangan Sonam Detchu Bhutia and various HoDs
from DAC Mangan.
The chief guest,
Chief Justice Biswanath Somadder, in his address expressed his gratitude and
congratulated everyone involved in the successful completion of the project
including the engineers, labourers, architects, and officials of Building &
Housing department. Emphasising the importance of the infrastructure, he
highlighted the judiciary's responsibility to deliver justice promptly to the
doorsteps of the common man, quoting "Justice delayed is justice
denied." He also reaffirmed his confidence in Sikkim’s judicial system,
urging that the facilities provided be fully utilised and advised the judiciary
to prioritise and swiftly resolve cases requiring urgent attention. Concluding
his address, he encouraged the judicial officers to uphold standards that would
make society proud of them.
Subarna
Rai, District & Sessions Judge of the District Court, Mangan delivered the
welcome address and stated that the new Annexe Court Building is designed to
specifically cater to vulnerable witnesses and Fast Track & Family Court
cases. She also added that Mangan District will have a designated Vulnerable
Witness Deposition room which will go a long way in mitigating the trauma
already faced by vulnerable witnesses. Apart from generating employment, it
will also enable the young budding members of the bar to flourish, she said.
Principal chief
engineer YN Gautam presented a technical report on the project ‘Construction of
Additional Court Building and Vulnerable Witness Deposition Centre, Mangan,’
stating that the newly constructed G+3 RCC-framed structure covers an area of
10,944 sq ft.
Following
this, the inauguration of the annex court building took place. Chief Justice
Biswanath Somadder inaugurated the Annexe Building in the presence of all
guests and attendees. A brief tour of the new facility was conducted. The
building houses three courtrooms, a lawyer’s hall and a dedicated section for
vulnerable witnesses.
The event
concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Rohini Rai, Civil
Judge-cum-Judicial Magistrate of Mangan. She expressed gratitude to all the
dignitaries, guests and the local community for their support.
This new
annexe is expected to significantly enhance the district’s judicial
infrastructure, providing modern facilities to better serve the legal needs of
the region.
