The District Magistrate withdraws the order prohibiting the plying of litigants’ vehicles inside the court complex in Vellore

Before its withdrawal, the parties to the dispute opposed the move to ban the movement of visitors’ vehicles inside the court premises. | Photo credit: Special arrangement

Chief District Judge M. Elavarasan on Wednesday ordered the lifting of the ban on parking of vehicles by visitors, who are mostly litigants, inside the combined court complex after the ban faced stiff opposition.

Court officials said the purpose of the ban is to provide a safe and secure space for vehicles owned by attorneys, court officials and police.

The two-day ban was piloted after lawyers and court staff reported thefts of vehicles, especially two-wheelers, inside the premises. “The parking ban was to prevent the court premises from becoming an unauthorized parking lot. It was also aimed at making better use of the available space for parking vehicles,” said a court official.

However, due to lack of dedicated parking space, the litigants and other court visitors parked their two-wheeler on the service lane of the Chennai-Bengaluru National Highway (NH 48). This resulted in traffic jams with traffic police personnel deployed to regulate traffic on the narrow stretch, which is also a key bus route.

The litigants said that in coordination with the Public Works Department (PWD), which manages the facility, the judicial authorities should allocate adequate space for all visitors inside the premises. “The parking lot lacks CCTV cameras and security personnel to monitor the movement of people and vehicles. Such surveillance will act as a deterrent against theft in the premises,” said G. Vinod, a party to the proceedings.

On an average, more than 3,000 litigants visit the court premises in Vellore every day.

Court officials said on an average, more than 150 two-wheelers are parked on the premises daily.

Court officials said adequate police personnel should be deployed on the premises. Additional CCTV cameras and control rooms should be installed to prevent theft.

Published – 02 Sep 2026 23:31 IST