Horror, mayhem unfold at Chandigarh court complex as retd AIG shoots son-in-law dead
Shot twice, the cop’s injured son-in-law writhed in pain for at least 10 minutes before help arrived, but could not survive
It was a routine Saturday at the District Courts Complex in Sector 43, when the sound of gunshots shattered the din of lawyers and litigants at the mediation centre around 1.30 pm.
Retired Punjab Police assistant inspector general (AIG) Malwinder Singh Sidhu, 59, had opened fire, targeting his son-in-law Harprit Singh, 34, an Indian Civil Account Services (ICAS) officer with the Union ministry of agriculture and farmers’ welfare in Delhi.
As chaos unfolded, the screams of an injured Harprit’s 63-year-old mother pierced through the air. His blood splattered on the floor, Harprit tried to support himself on the ground with his left hand.
Shot in the chest and neck, Harprit, kept writhing in pain as blood pooled around him. It was not until 10-12 minutes later that those present in nearby courtrooms realised the gravity of the incident and rushed to his aid.
Some were still busy filming Harprit’s agonising final moments on their mobile phones. The videos went viral in no time.
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Despite receiving a footfall of thousands daily, the court complex had no ambulance or paramedics deployed to respond to the emergent situation.
With police also nowhere to be spotted, Harprit was eventually rushed to PGIMER in a private vehicle. His family alleged no immediate help was provided to them.
Advocates present near the spot swiftly detained Malwinder in a room and locked it from outside. He was eventually arrested from the scene of crime by the police.
Utter panic prevailed in the court complex after the incident. District and sessions judge Arunvir Vashishta as well as the inspecting judge of Punjab and Haryana high court Gurvinder Singh Gill, along with other officials, as well as police, soon reached the spot.
“Mediation centre is meant for counselling of estranged couples. People do fight here often and we are used to hearing loud and aggressive fights. But no one could imagine that a murder incident can occur so brazenly in broad daylight inside the building,” said an advocate.