Page:Modern Hyderabad (Deccan).djvu/107

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MODERN HYDERABAD.
95

from their courts complicated cases are sent to the Divisional Courts at head-quarters.

The Paigah nobles and the jagirdars have their own courts and prisons, and they possess magisterial powers of various grades which add very much to their importance.

Prisoners from the Atraf-i-balda (crown land) are sent to the Central Jail in Hyderabad. The First Talukdar of the Atraf-i-balda district is a Nazim-i-Diwani, or Civil Judge ; and he has a Judicial Assistant, who presides over the District Civil Court. The second and third tahsildars exercise powers of the third class. The first talukdar is the head of the Atraf-i-balda district police, and he has a superintendent as his executive deputy.

The City Courts are small and very crowded, and the visitor to Hyderabad who desires to witness picturesque and varied scenes should visit the City Criminal Court during the morning hours. Every variety of costume may be seen there and a babel of tongues will be heard, while lawyers and litigants jostle one another on the steep steps, policemen and prisoners arrive and depart, and a varied and motley crowd of onlookers passes up and down. Many law-