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Mohali court orders FIR against inspector for assaulting staffer during Majithia’s court appearance
Around 11.30 am, inspector Jashanpreet Singh allegedly approached Baljeet Singh, a chowkidar posted under the establishment of the civil judge (senior division), and asked him to open a gate near the Radha Soami Satsang Beas to allow Majithia a back-door entry, away from public view
In a significant judicial development, a Mohali court has ordered the registration of an FIR against an inspector for allegedly assaulting a court employee during the production of SAD leader and former Punjab minister Bikram Singh Majithia at the District Court Complex on July 6.
According to the complaint, the incident occurred when Majithia was being brought to court in a disproportionate assets case.
Around 11.30 am, inspector Jashanpreet Singh allegedly approached Baljeet Singh, a chowkidar posted under the establishment of the civil judge (senior division), and asked him to open a gate near the Radha Soami Satsang Beas to allow Majithia a back-door entry, away from public view.
When the chowkidar insisted that prior permission from the judicial authorities was required, the inspector allegedly snatched the keys from him and pushed him.
Later that day, Baljeet informed civil judge (senior division)-cum-additional chief judicial magistrate Anish Goyal that the inspector had also inflicted two to three blows on him. Pawan Kumar, the judge’s reader, then filed a formal complaint, which was forwarded to the police for inquiry.
The directive to lodge an FIR came after the court observed that cognisable and non-compoundable offences had been committed against a public servant on duty. It ordered the Mohali senior superintendent of police (SSP), Mohali, to ensure that appropriate legal action is taken.
Court rubbishes police inquiry that found ‘no offence’
The inquiry conducted by the Sohana station house officer (SHO), with concurrence from the deputy superintendent of police (DSP, City 2), had concluded that no offence had been committed, claiming the matter had been “mutually settled” under a stressful work environment involving both parties as public servants.
However, the court rejected the findings, stating that the offences alleged were non-compoundable and could not be dismissed simply because the victim later compromised.
“The offence is deemed to be committed against the State, and merely at the whims and fancies of the victim, the criminal justice system would not come to a halt,” the court observed in its ruling.
Thus, the court directed the Sohana SHO to register a case under Sections 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 132 (assault or use of criminal force to deter a public servant from duty), 221 (obstructing a public servant in discharge of duty) and 304 (snatching) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with any other relevant sections that may emerge during investigation.
Treating the original complaint as a formal FIR, the court directed that a copy of the order be sent to the SHO, Sohana police station. It also instructed the complainant to provide a copy of the application to the naib court for necessary transmission to the police station concerned.
