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Chandigarh: Day after PSO points gun at HC officer, murder bid case filed
The confrontation stemmed from a complaint made by justice Vikas Suri, who had reportedly raised concerns about the irregular conduct of two PSOs assigned to him
A day after a personal security officer (PSO) of a Punjab and Haryana high court (HC) judge allegedly pointed a loaded service weapon at a chief court officer and attempted to fire at him during an official inquiry, the accused was booked for attempt-to-murder on Thursday. The accused has been identified as Dilbag Singh.
According to a complaint submitted by Dalvinder Singh, chief court officer, to the registrar general of the Punjab and Haryana high court (HC), the incident occurred around 12.10 pm on August 6, inside the CO (M) Branch.
The confrontation stemmed from a complaint made by justice Vikas Suri, who had reportedly raised concerns about the irregular conduct of two PSOs assigned to him. On August 4, special secretary Mohan Lal Bimbra conveyed justice Suri’s directions to the chief court officer, instructing him to inquire into the matter.
Upon contacting PSO Tarun, it was learned that he and fellow PSO Dilbag Singh had mutually switched their assigned duties without informing the judge, a serious breach of protocol.
Gun pulled inside court branch
When Dilbag Singh (posted as ASI in Chandigarh police) was summoned on August 6, he allegedly arrived at the branch, sat on the sofa opposite Dalvinder Singh, and reacted aggressively when questioned, and said, “you are insulting me by calling in your office.” “In an unprovoked fit of rage, Dilbag reportedly pulled out his official pistol and pointed it at the chief court officer, attempting to fire. Fortunately, the weapon did not discharge,” said the complainant.
Acting quickly, the branch staff, including PSOs Tarun, Rahul Adhana, Sudeep Singh, Arun Kumar, Pawan Khichi, Ashok Kumar, Rajesh Kumar, and Neeraj Kaushik, overpowered the armed officer before he could attempt another shot.
Even as police arrived and began to escort Dilbag towards the nearby police post inside the HC complex, the PSO allegedly punched the complainant in the face, causing a nasal injury. This altercation was also captured on CCTV cameras, in addition to being recorded on mobile phones by the court staff present during the incident.
In his written complaint, the victim Dalvinder Singh has described the attack as a “life-threatening act” and urged the authorities to take strict disciplinary and legal action against PSO Dilbag Singh. He warned that such conduct poses a grave risk not only to court officials but to the overall sanctity and security of the judiciary.
“The act is not only unwarranted but reflects how dangerous such individuals can be in moments of rage. Had my colleagues not intervened, I could have lost my life,” he wrote. A case under Section 109 (attempt to murder) has been registered at Police Station-3 against ASI Dilbag Singh.
