Tis Hazari Courts: Your Criminal, Civil, Rent or MCD Case in Central and West Delhi

What Tis Hazari Courts is, and whether your case belongs there

Tis Hazari Courts is the district court complex for the Central and West districts of Delhi. It sits north of Old Delhi, close to Kashmere Gate and the Inter State Bus Terminal, and it has functioned since 1958, which makes it the oldest of Delhi's district court complexes. Criminal cases from police stations in these two districts, civil suits about property and money in these areas, rent cases, cheque bounce complaints and appeals against MCD orders are all heard here.

Your case comes here because of where the cause arose or where the police station is, not because of where you live. A businessman from Noida who is named in an FIR registered at Karol Bagh police station will appear at Tis Hazari. A tenant in Rajouri Garden facing eviction will be before the Rent Controller here. An FIR from Saket or Dwarka goes to those courts instead, and CBI and ED cases go to the special courts at Rouse Avenue.

One plain point: this is the website of B.K. Singh & Associates, a private law firm. It is not the website of Tis Hazari Courts, the Delhi District Courts or the Delhi High Court. For official cause lists, case status, court room numbers, holiday lists and notices, use the official Delhi District Courts websites for the Central and West districts and the eCourts services portal.

Which areas and police stations come to Tis Hazari

• Central district. This covers the Old Delhi and central belt, including areas such as Daryaganj, Chandni Mahal, Jama Masjid, Hauz Qazi, Paharganj, Nabi Karim, Karol Bagh, Prasad Nagar, Rajinder Nagar and Patel Nagar. Criminal cases from these police stations and civil disputes about property in these areas are heard by the Central district courts at Tis Hazari.
• West district. This covers areas such as Rajouri Garden, Tilak Nagar, Hari Nagar, Moti Nagar, Kirti Nagar, Punjabi Bagh and Khyala. Cases from these police stations go to the West district courts at Tis Hazari.
• Areas moved to other complexes. Over the years some areas have been shifted. Cases from police stations such as Uttam Nagar, Vikaspuri and Janakpuri were moved to the Dwarka courts for new matters, with older cases left where they were. North district courts now sit mainly at Rohini. So a family can have an old case at Tis Hazari and a newer one at Dwarka Courts or Rohini Courts.
• Police districts are redrawn. Delhi Police has created and renamed districts several times, and court allocation follows notifications of the High Court and the Delhi government. Do not rely on any list, including this one, for a particular police station. Check the FIR and the court's own allocation on the eCourts portal.

The courts and offices inside the complex

• Sessions courts. The Principal District and Sessions Judges and Additional Sessions Judges for the two districts hear sessions trials such as murder, rape and serious robbery, regular and anticipatory bail applications after the magistrate stage, criminal appeals from magistrates and criminal revisions. Special courts for POCSO and certain other laws are among them.
• Magistrates' courts. The Chief Metropolitan Magistrates, Additional CMMs and Metropolitan Magistrates handle first production after arrest, police remand, bail in most cases, cheque bounce complaints under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, private complaints, and trials of offences punishable with up to seven years.
• Civil courts. Civil Judges hear smaller suits; the District Judge and Additional District Judges hear larger suits up to the High Court's pecuniary limit, civil appeals from Civil Judges, probate and succession matters within their limit, and district commercial court cases.
• Rent Controllers. Eviction petitions under the Delhi Rent Control Act 1958, including summary eviction for bona fide need, are heard here for premises in these districts.
• Appellate Tribunal, MCD. Appeals against MCD sealing, demolition, stop-work and building-plan orders from across Delhi are heard by this Tribunal in the complex (property tax assessment appeals go to the District Judge under Section 169 DMC Act instead). Many people outside Central and West Delhi come to Tis Hazari only for this reason.
• Motor Accident Claims Tribunal. Compensation claims arising from road accidents in these districts.
• Support offices. The District Legal Services Authorities, a court-annexed mediation centre, filing counters, copying agencies, the Nazarat branch for process and a bank branch work from the complex. Children's courts for the area are listed by the courts' own website as sitting separately at Kingsway Camp.

Why the age of the complex matters for your case

The name Tis Hazari means 'thirty thousand' and, by the usual account, comes from the camp of a thirty thousand strong Sikh army that halted here in 1783. The court buildings came much later, in 1958. Being the oldest complex has practical consequences. The courts carry some of the heaviest and oldest pending dockets in Delhi, the buildings are crowded, and some cases filed a decade or more ago are still at the evidence stage.

Old pending cases also mean old law. FIRs registered before 1 July 2024 continue under the Indian Penal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure, by the savings clause in Section 531 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023, while newer FIRs follow the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and BNSS. A family with two cases may find one argued under Section 439 CrPC and the other under Section 483 BNSS. The principles are largely the same, but applications must cite the right law.

In practice, the backlog makes early decisions on bail, discharge and settlement more valuable here. Waiting for a trial to finish is a long game at Tis Hazari, and many matters are better resolved by a well timed application to the trial court, the mediation centre or the Delhi High Court.

The main laws applied at Tis Hazari

How a criminal case moves through Tis Hazari

1. FIR and arrest or notice

   The case begins with an FIR at a Central or West district police station under Section 173 BNSS (old Section 154 CrPC). For offences punishable up to seven years, the police should usually issue a notice of appearance under Section 35 BNSS (old Section 41A CrPC) rather than arrest, following Arnesh Kumar v. State of Bihar (2014).

2. First production and remand

   An arrested person must be produced before the duty magistrate within 24 hours. The magistrate decides police or judicial custody. This is the first chance to apply for bail and to check whether grounds of arrest were given, as Section 47 BNSS (old Section 50 CrPC) requires.

3. Bail before the magistrate, then sessions

   Bail is first sought before the Metropolitan Magistrate. If it is refused, or the offence is triable only by a Court of Session, the application goes to the Sessions Court at Tis Hazari. Anticipatory bail is also filed in the Sessions Court first, in the usual Delhi practice.

4. Chargesheet and cognizance

   The police file a report under Section 193 BNSS (old Section 173 CrPC). If it is not filed within 60 or 90 days of custody, depending on the offence, default bail can be claimed. The magistrate takes cognizance and issues summons to accused not in custody.

5. Committal and charge

   Sessions offences are committed to the Sessions Court. The court hears arguments on charge or discharge. This stage deserves careful work, because a discharge ends the case and a wrongly framed charge can be challenged in revision.

6. Evidence and judgment

   Prosecution witnesses are examined and cross-examined, the accused's statement is recorded, defence evidence follows, and the court gives judgment. At Tis Hazari this stage often takes years because of witness availability and court workload.

7. Appeal

   A conviction by a magistrate is appealed to the Sessions Court; a conviction by a Sessions Court is appealed to the Delhi High Court under Section 415 BNSS (old Section 374 CrPC), where suspension of sentence can also be sought.

Civil, property and rent cases at Tis Hazari

Civil suits about property or money in the Central and West districts are filed here when their value is up to the Delhi High Court's pecuniary limit, which is Rs 2 crore at present; a proposal to raise it is pending, so check the current limit. Smaller suits go to Civil Judges and larger ones to the District Judge and Additional District Judges. A dispute over a shop in Karol Bagh worth Rs 1.5 crore starts here; one over a building worth Rs 5 crore starts on the original side of the High Court.

Rent cases are a large part of the Tis Hazari workload because of the many old tenancies in Old Delhi, Paharganj and Karol Bagh. Where the Delhi Rent Control Act applies, a landlord's eviction petition for bona fide need moves under the summary procedure of Section 25B. The single most important date for a tenant is the 15 days from service to file an application for leave to defend; if it is missed, an eviction order follows almost automatically. Other orders of the Rent Controller go in appeal to the Rent Control Tribunal, and then to the High Court on a substantial question of law. Premises let above Rs 3,500 a month are outside the Act and are recovered by an ordinary civil suit, which is where claims for mesne profits arise.

Interim injunctions are often what matters most in civil cases here: stopping a sale, construction, dispossession or change in a property's character while the suit runs. Orders granting or refusing injunctions can be appealed to the District Judge or the High Court depending on which court passed them, and other interim orders can be challenged under Article 227. Our page on challenging a trial court order under Article 227 and civil revision explains that route.

MCD appeals and accident claims: the Tribunals at Tis Hazari

The Appellate Tribunal MCD at Tis Hazari is where owners and occupiers from all over Delhi come when the Municipal Corporation books a property for unauthorised construction, issues a demolition order under Section 343 or a sealing order, or passes certain other orders. An appeal against a demolition order must be filed within the period stated in that order, which is often short, while sealing and similar orders carry a 30-day period under Section 347B of the DMC Act; the Tribunal can stay demolition or sealing while it hears the appeal. Going straight to the High Court without first approaching the Tribunal usually results in being sent back. Our page on MCD and DDA sealing or demolition notices covers the full process and the special protection laws for certain colonies.

The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal handles compensation for death and injury in road accidents in these districts. Many claims now start from the police's detailed accident report under the scheme approved by the Supreme Court, rather than from a separately drafted petition, but the claimants still need to prove income, dependency and medical expenses. Appeals against MACT awards lie to the Delhi High Court under Section 173 of the Motor Vehicles Act.

Both tribunals are busy. Keep certified copies of every order, attend every date, and make sure your address for service is current, because notices sent to an old address are a common reason for ex parte orders.

When the Delhi High Court steps into a Tis Hazari case

The Delhi High Court at Sher Shah Road supervises every court at Tis Hazari. The most common reasons to go there are: bail after the Sessions Court refuses, under Section 483 BNSS, explained on our page on bail from the Delhi High Court; anticipatory bail after the Sessions Court refuses, covered on the page on anticipatory bail in the Delhi High Court; revision against summoning orders, framing of charge and interim orders, set out on the page on criminal revisions; and quashing of FIRs under Section 528 BNSS (old Section 482 CrPC).

On the civil side, first appeals from decrees of the District Judge and Additional District Judges go to the High Court under Section 96 CPC, generally within 90 days, as explained on our page on civil first and second appeals. Rent Controller eviction orders under Section 25B are challenged by revision in the High Court, covered on the page on eviction revisions. Appeals from family court decrees, including the family courts serving these districts, go to the High Court within 30 days under Section 19 of the Family Courts Act; see our page on Delhi Family Courts.

Going to the High Court does not stop the Tis Hazari case unless the High Court passes a stay. When Advocate B.K. Singh is asked to take a Tis Hazari matter to the High Court, the first thing he checks is the trial court's last order sheet and next date, because missing a date at Tis Hazari while a High Court petition is pending can lead to a warrant or an ex parte order.

Time and cost at each stage (typical ranges, not promises)

Our professional fees are discussed at the first meeting and agreed in writing, stage by stage. A single bail hearing and a full trial are very different pieces of work, and we price them separately.

Papers to collect before you meet a lawyer

Practical points about reaching and attending Tis Hazari

The easiest way to reach the complex is the Delhi Metro. Tis Hazari station on the Red Line is next to the court complex, one stop from Kashmere Gate, which connects to the Yellow and Violet lines. The Red Line also runs directly from Ghaziabad, through Shahdara, to Tis Hazari, which suits clients from Ghaziabad and East Delhi. From our Dwarka office in Sector 7 near Ramphal Chowk, the journey is by the Blue Line to Rajiv Chowk, the Yellow Line to Kashmere Gate and one stop on the Red Line. Parking around the complex is limited and fills early on working days.

Arrive well before 10 a.m. Find the court room number from the day's cause list on the eCourts portal or the district court website before you leave home, because the complex is large, with several blocks, and court numbers are not always easy to locate on the spot. Carry identity proof, a copy of the last order and a pen. Phones should be on silent inside court rooms. If you are a surety, carry the original property or vehicle documents and identity papers the court has asked for.

Many hearings in the district courts can now be attended through video conferencing or hybrid arrangements where the court permits it, which helps NRIs and outstation parties. Certified copies can be applied for online or at the copying agency. Do not hand cash to anyone in the corridors who offers to 'get the file listed' or 'get bail fixed'; there is no such service, and it can get you into trouble.

Accused, complainant, landlord, tenant or NRI: how the approach differs

An accused person needs speed in the first days: bail, protection from arrest and a copy of the FIR and arrest papers. Later the focus moves to charge, discharge and the trial. A complainant, by contrast, needs a well documented complaint, follow-up with the investigating officer and, if the police do not act, an application under Section 175(3) BNSS (old Section 156(3) CrPC) before the magistrate. The victim has the right to be heard on bail in certain offences and to appeal against acquittal or an inadequate sentence.

A landlord in a Section 25B case needs proof of ownership and bona fide need for himself or his family, and should expect the tenant to file for leave to defend. A tenant needs to act within 15 days of service and to show a real triable issue, such as the landlord owning other suitable premises. In cheque bounce complaints, which are among the most common cases at Tis Hazari, the complainant's legal notice and its timing decide much of the case; our sister site on cheque bounce cases covers that procedure in detail.

NRIs with cases here can usually act through a power of attorney for civil matters, though criminal cases often require personal presence on key dates unless exempted. Personal exemption applications, video conferencing and, in appropriate cases, permission from the High Court help. Our pages for clients in West Delhi and New Delhi and Central Delhi cover the local picture in more detail.

Mistakes that hurt people with cases at Tis Hazari

• Missing the 15 day window in a rent case. A tenant who does not seek leave to defend in time under Section 25B usually loses the right to contest eviction.
• Not attending dates while a High Court case is pending. A pending petition does not excuse absence. Non-appearance can bring a bailable or non-bailable warrant.
• Going to the wrong court. Filing in Tis Hazari when the police station or property falls in another district wastes months.
• Skipping the MCD Tribunal. Rushing to the High Court against a demolition order without appealing to the Appellate Tribunal MCD usually ends with the petition being withdrawn.
• Losing track of old and new law. Cases from before 1 July 2024 continue under the CrPC and IPC; applications citing only the BNSS can be returned or cause confusion.
• Paying touts in the corridors. No one can buy a listing or an order. Deal only with your own lawyer and the court's official counters.

What to do this week

• Find the case number and next date on the eCourts portal and note the court room.
• Collect the FIR, summons, petition or notice and every order passed so far.
• If you are a tenant served with a Section 25B petition, count 15 days from the date of service and act before then.
• If you have an MCD order, note its date: the appeal period is short.
• If someone has been arrested, gather identity papers for sureties and any medical records.
• Decide whether a High Court remedy is needed now or whether the trial court stage should be completed first.

Getting advice on a Tis Hazari case

Cases at Tis Hazari often have a long life, and the choices made in the first weeks, on bail, leave to defend, an MCD appeal or an early settlement, shape everything that follows. We work from our Dwarka and Vaishali offices and online for clients anywhere, including NRIs.

For advice on your papers, or for an update on court allocation and procedure at Tis Hazari, contact Advocate B.K. Singh.