CJI constitutes committee to conduct accessibility audit of SC premises
New Delhi (PTI): In a bid to remove the barriers to access, Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud has constituted a committee headed by apex court judge Justice S Ravindra Bhat to conduct an audit of "physical and functional access" of the top court premises to make them disabled friendly.
The 'Supreme Court Committee on Accessibility' has been given a broad mandate to prepare and release a questionnaire for persons with disabilities, including the apex court employees, advocates, litigants and interns, who visit the top court premises to assess the nature and extent of problems they face.
According to a notice uploaded on the apex court website, the committee will prepare a report on the accessibility audit, result of the survey of persons with disability and recommendations/proposals geared towards removing the barriers to access.
"The Chief Justice of India has been pleased to constitute a committee namely the 'Supreme Court Committee on Accessibility' to conduct accessibility audit of physical as well as functional access to the Supreme Court chaired by Justice S Ravindra Bhat, Judge, Supreme Court of India," said the December 19 notice.
The notice said the other members of the committee include Dr Sanjay Jain, professor of National Law School of India University, Bengaluru, Shakti Mishra, librarian nominated from the apex court, V Sridhar Reddy, advocate nominated by the Supreme Court Bar Association and Nilesh Singit, independent accessibility expert nominated by the Centre for Disability Studies (NALSAR University of Law).
Additional registrar of the Supreme Court, Ajay Agrawal, is the member (secretary) of the committee.
As per the notice, the committee will conduct an accessibility audit of the top court premises and its functioning extending to both physical as well as technology accessibility.
It said one of the broad mandates of the committee is to carry out any other activity required to conduct the accessibility audit.
On November 24, in a bid to make the software used by the Supreme Court accessible to those visually impaired, Justice Chandrachud had, in the midst of a hearing, sought the assistance of senior lawyer S K Rungta and asked him how he follows written arguments and gets them converted into a braille document.
Rungta, who lost his vision at a very young age, was responding to the written submissions of some senior lawyers in a case related to the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission before a bench headed by the CJI.
Chandrachud had then said some changes have been made to the official website of the top court by making it accessible through audio captchas.
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Bondi beach shooting: Ahmed al Ahmed’s heroic tackling of gunman earns him praise
Donations pour in for Ahmed’s recovery
Melbourne: Ahmed al Ahmed, a 43-year-old convenience store owner and father of two, is being widely praised for his bravery after he tackled and disarmed one of the gunmen during a deadly shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday, December 14.
The attack took place near a children’s playground during the “Chanukah By The Sea,” a Jewish event, the Hanukkah celebration, which was attended by hundreds of families.
Two gunmen opened fire on the crowd, killing 11 people and injuring many others. In total, 29 people were taken to hospitals across Sydney.
The video that quickly spread across social media showed Ahmed crouching behind parked cars before running towards one of the attackers. As shots rang out, he came from behind, placed the gunman in a headlock, and wrestled the firearm away.
During the struggle, Ahmed was shot twice by a second gunman, suffering injuries to his hand, arm, and leg. Despite his injuries, he managed to disarm the attacker. Australian media later confirmed Ahmed al Ahmed as the man seen in the viral footage.
After the attack, he was widely hailed as a hero. Donations began pouring in from across Australia and abroad to support his recovery.
Quoting Reuters, Hindustan Times reported that a GoFundMe campaign set up for Ahmed raised more than A$1.1 million within a single day. Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman was the largest donor, contributing A$99,999 and sharing the fundraiser on his X account.
Ahmed is currently recovering in St. George Hospital after undergoing surgery for gunshot wounds, and doctors have said he may require further procedures.
According to local reports, members of the public gathered outside St. George Hospital to show their support.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised Ahmed’s actions, saying they prevented the death toll from rising further.
“What we’ve seen in the last 24 hours was the worst of humanity in a terrorist act. But we also saw the best of humanity in Ahmed Al Ahmed running towards danger and putting his own life at risk,” Albanese told state run ABC News. He confirmed that Ahmed was shot twice by the second attacker during the incident.
Family members said Ahmed had no prior experience with firearms and acted purely on instinct.
Police later confirmed that two gunmen were involved in the attack. One was disarmed by Ahmed and later taken into custody in critical condition. The second gunman was fatally shot at the scene by a police officer who arrived shortly after Ahmed’s intervention.
A man who disarmed a terrorist has been identified as a Muslim named Ahmed Al Ahmad during an attack on a Jewish event in Sydney.
— Globe Eye News (@GlobeEyeNews) December 14, 2025
He prevented further harm to Jews. pic.twitter.com/OvU0y0iQq4
