Blasts rock Chhattisgarh High Court building

Bilaspur, Sep 4 (UNI) Two successive explosions rocked the Chhattisgarh High Court building here in the forenoon today, but there was no casualty.

The blasts, set off using firecrackers ('sutli' bombs), took place on the first floor terrace of the ancient building that earlier housed a school.

Several identical computer-printout pamphlets, purportedly issued by 'Peedit Adhivaktagan' (victimised advocates) and containing personal allegations against Justice Satish Agnihotri, were found on the terrace and in the lobby close to Chief Justice Rajeev Gupta's chamber.

''The pamphlets warned the judge to 'go back' and accused him of a superiority complex that led to undermining other jurists,'' said Inspector-General of Police (Bilaspur Range) Rajeev Chandra Shrivastav.

The first explosion took place on the terrace of Justice T P Sharma's courtroom about 45 minutes after the day's work began.

Consequently, panic prevailed in Chhattisgarh's second-largest town.

''A police team, led by Superintendent Vivekanand Sinha. reached the spot and investigation revealed that 'sutli' bombs were used to cause the blasts,'' Mr Shrivastav said.

Justice Agnihotri previously used the chamber over which the explosions were set off.

Immediately after the blasts, hearing were suspended in two adjoining courtrooms and the judges retreated to their antechambers.

Court sources quoted the Chief Justice as expressing ''extreme concern'' over the incident and several lawyers also demanded immediate action against the printer.

After Chhattisgarh came into existence on November 1, 2000, the Court was set up in the old two-storey building that earlier housed the Normal School a few kilometers from the railway station. Several districts of this state are in the grip of the Naxalites.

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