In a minyan I participate in, the one doing hachnasas sefer torah has to return the torah immediately to an aron kodesh in another room. I see people walk out the door to follow the Torah outside of the room (and presumably walking it down the hall) as the person carrying the Torah exits.
Is there a halachah for this practice, or is it just a praiseworthy minhag to make sure the Torah is escorted (which I thought I understood one does for his Rav if he encounters him walking alone)?