Bandipora, Nov 07 (KNO): At the entrance of the District Court Complex in Bandipora, a ramp built to provide easy access to persons with disabilities stands largely unusable, allegedly blocked for long hours by an official vehicle, leaving some litigants to rely on the goodwill and physical assistance of others simply to enter the premises.
For many visitors, the court is a place where rights are protected. For persons with disabilities arriving at the complex, however, reaching the courtroom itself can become the first battle.
On Friday, a lawyer told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that a specially abled litigant had to be carried into the court complex because the access ramp was obstructed and wheelchairs were not available for use.
"We had no option but to lift the person and carry them inside," the lawyer said. "The ramp was blocked and the wheelchairs had been kept aside. It was humiliating to watch."
Lawyers and litigants alleged that the situation is not an isolated occurrence and has persisted for some time, despite the ramp being specifically meant to facilitate access for persons with disabilities.
Several court visitors expressed disappointment over what they described as a glaring contradiction within an institution tasked with dispensing justice.
"What is the purpose of constructing a ramp if it cannot be used?" asked one litigant waiting outside the court complex.
Photographs from the court complex show a vehicle parked in front of the ramp area, effectively obstructing the route intended for wheelchair users and others with mobility challenges.
The irony is difficult to miss: in a place often described as a temple of justice, some of the most vulnerable citizens are allegedly finding the door to that justice physically inaccessible—(KNO)