Woman, son found guilty of assaulting cop in 2021

The woman, Preeti Jakhar, 44, of Mohanbari village in Jhajjar, Haryana, was awarded two years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of ₹10,000,while her son Atharava Chaudhary, 24, was sentenced to eight months rigorous imprisonment and a fine of ₹10,000 for assaulting a cop in 2021

A local court has found a 44-year-old woman and her son guilty of assaulting a cop who was posted as a security guard at the home of former Haryana chief secretary Vijay Vardhan on June 1, 2021.

The 44-year-old woman and her son guilty of assaulting a cop who was posted as a security guard at the home of former Haryana chief secretary Vijay Vardhan on June 1, 2021 (i Stock)

The woman, Preeti Jakhar, 44, of Mohanbari village in Jhajjar, Haryana, was awarded two years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of ₹10,000,while her son Atharava Chaudhary, 24, was sentenced to eight months rigorous imprisonment and a fine of ₹10,000.

They have been convicted under Section 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The case was registered after constable Sumer Singh said the woman-son duo had barged into the premises of Vardhan’s home. Sumer said Chaudhary pushed him and pulled off his name badge, while his mother caught hold of the hand in which he was holding his service rifle. Chaudhary had allegedly snatched his wristwatch.

While the case was also registered under Sections 379-A (snatching) and 411 (Dishonestly receiving stolen property) of the IPC, the court observed that it is not proven that the accused had come to Vardhan’s house to snatch Sumer’s wristwatch and they only intended to meet the chief secretary.

While pronouncing the quantum of the sentence, the court said that keeping in view the young age of Chaudhary, the fact that he had committed the offence at the insistence of his mother and he is not involved in any other cases, a lenient view was taken.