E-Paper
Snatching of pistol from judge’s PSO: High court seeks fortnightly probe reports
According to reports, the ASI was accompanying the judge who had come to pay obeisance at the shrine. Suddenly, the man snatched the pistol of the officer and shot himself dead.
The Punjab and Haryana high court has sought fortnightly reports from a Haryana IPS officer probing the September 22 incident wherein a man snatched the service pistol of a high court judge’s personal security officer (PSO) at the Golden Temple and shot himself dead.
The high court bench of chief justice Sheel Nagu and justice Anil Kshetarpal also asked IPS officer Manisha Chaudhary, AIR/administration, Haryana, Panchkula, to submit status progress reports in two other related FIRs fortnightly. Two FIRs were triggered by this incident and one FIR relates to obstruction caused to convoy of the same judge by protesters.
The court was hearing a suo motu plea initiated on September 24 after the incident came to light. According to reports, the ASI was accompanying the judge who had come to pay obeisance at the shrine. Suddenly, the man snatched the pistol of the officer and shot himself dead. Later, the deceased was identified as a resident of Mahalingapura, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, who was stated to be mentally unstable by the police. Chaudhary was entrusted with the probe on October 1.
While perusing the report on probe, the court observed that the investigation appears to be “perfunctory” as probe has not been able to trace out the projectile of the bullet from the scene of crime.
The court also ordered CRPF security for the judge in question in place of UT cops, as provided earlier. “As such, it is directed that three/four CRPF personnel of appropriate ranks be deputed 24x7 for personal security of the learned Judge, of course, which however shall remain subject to the convenience of the learned judge,” the court ordered while fixing the matter for further hearing on November 4.
