PIL on Hindi in lower courts; HC seeks reply from Registrar

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court today sought reply from its Registrar, Judicial, on a PIL seeking direction to accept all petitions in the subordinate courts across the national capital in Hindi.

A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal asked concerned authorities to file status report on the plea which urged to publish the Delhi High Court Rules in Hindi and display it on its website.

The court fixed the matter for December 16.

Advocate Umesh Sharma has moved the court on the ground that Delhi High Court rules mandates Hindi as the language for working of the district courts.

"Despite the mandate of law, respondents have discouraged the petitions filed in Hindi and have encouraged the petitions in English language which is not a Bharatiya language.

"Respondents have also concealed the aforesaid fact from the public domain by not publishing the Delhi High Court Rules in Hindi which is a mandate of law," the plea alleged.

It also said that Hindi was the official language of Delhi and hence members of the public, who approach the courts seeking justice, should be permitted to express themselves in their main State language Hindi and English should not be forced upon them.