Punjab DSP who ‘opened fire’ at wife denied anticipatory bail

Accused of opening fire at his wife, Punjab deputy superintendent of police Atul Soni failed to get any relief from court, as his plea for anticipatory bail was

Accused of opening fire at his wife, Punjab deputy superintendent of police Atul Soni failed to get any relief from court, as his plea for anticipatory bail was dismissed on Thursday.

HT Image

DSP Atul Soni is posted with Punjab Armed Police in Chandigarh.

Posted with Punjab Armed Police in Chandigarh, Soni, 50, was booked for attempt to murder on Sunday morning, hours after an “aggravated altercation” with his wife at their house in Mohali.

Making a U-turn on Monday, his wife, Sunita Soni, 47, in an affidavit claimed that no shot was fired and she had just made a complaint of domestic dispute.

His wife, who too was “untraceable” for the past three days, was present in court, and reiterated that “no gunshot was fired”. She offered to even record her statement, but her verbal request was not accepted.

Meanwhile, opposing bail, the public prosecutor stated: “As an unlicensed weapon was recovered in the case, custodial interrogation of the accused was needed.”

Section 498A unjustified: DSP

The DSP has been booked under Sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 498A (husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) besides the Arms Act.

In his plea, he termed the adding of Section 498A “incorrect and unjustified”, stating that he has been married for 25 years.

Claiming “false implication”, the DSP stated that police failed to even get his wife’s medical examination done after she lodged a complaint. The plea also pointed out that police failed to get her signatures on documents relating to the weapon recovery.

However, police have earlier claimed that they got Sunita’s signatures when she allegedly handed over the 32 bore pistol along with a shell and live cartridge to them on Sunday.