‘Protector turns predator’: Security officer who killed judge’s wife, son gets death

Mahipal Singh was attached to additional sessions judge (ASJ) Krishan Kant and was escorting his family at the time of the incident. He has been lodged in the Bhondsi jail since the incident.

A local court on Friday awarded the death sentence to 32-year-old Mahipal Singh, a former personal security officer (PSO), for shooting dead the wife and son of an additional sessions judge at the Arcadia Market in Sector 49 of Gurugram on October 13, 2018. The court had held him guilty on Thursday.

Charges were framed against Mahipal Singh under Sections 302 and 201 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 27 of the Arms Act on January 9, 2019, for the double murder. (HT FILE PHOTO)

Singh was attached to additional sessions judge (ASJ) Krishan Kant and was escorting his family at the time of the incident. He has been lodged in the Bhondsi jail since the incident.

Additional sessions judge Sudhir Parmar pronounced the quantum of punishment, awarding the death sentence under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), rigorous imprisonment of five years with a fine of ₹10,000 under Section 201 (destruction of evidence) and three years with a fine of ₹5,000 under the Arms Act.

The 140-page order of the court said: “Considering all the above facts, I tend to agree with what has been argued by learned public prosecutor and hence, prayer for leniency made on behalf of the convict is declined. The kind of act leading to murder of wife and son of a judicial officer has far-reaching consequences. It has not confined its adverse effects on the society alone but is fraught with wider ramification of sending shivers down the spine of holders of judicial office.”

“The horrendous act of the accused has not only taken away two lives but it has also the tendency to undermine the faith reposed by people in those who are supposed to safeguard them. Not only that, his acts have brought defame to the members of police force also at times protect the people even at the cost of their lives. When protectors turn predators (perpetrators of crime), there appears to be no mitigating circumstances for consideration on the question of sentence. The case squarely falls within the ambit of ‘rarest of rare case’ doctrine propounded by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in Bachhan Singh’s case (1980),” the court said.

Charges were framed against Singh under Sections 302 and 201 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 27 of the Arms Act on January 9, 2019, for the double murder.

The police had listed 81 witnesses, of whom 64 recorded their statements in court, including doctors from Paras Hospital, where the injured were first taken, and Medanta Hospital, where the victims died, forensic experts and police personnel associated with the investigation.

Prosecution lawyer Vishal Gupta said: “The court has announced the orders on the sentence after hearing both the parties for a considerable time. The court was of the opinion that the act committed by accused Singh falls within the category of rarest of rare cases and he deserves to be hanged till his last breath. The court was further of the opinion that the act committed by the accused speaks in itself.”

Gupta earlier sought capital punishment for Singh as he referred to the assassination of former prime minister Indira Gandhi, who was shot dead by her two security guards — Beant Singh and Satwant Singh. He said the duo and co-conspirator Kehar Singh were awarded the death sentence by the court of law.

Defence lawyer PS Sharma had urged the court to be lenient as Singh was the only bread earner of his family consisting of elderly parents, wife and two minor daughters.