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| -Lurid Crime Tales- |
| Accused serial killers beaten by mob of lawyers outside courthouse |
| 2007-01-25 |
| Ghaziabad, India In a bizarre incident, lawyers joined a mob in raining blows on the two key Nithari accused when they were being escorted to a local court here on Thursday. Moninder Singh Pandher and Surendra Koli received severe blows when an apparently furious mob went berserk and ransacked windowpanes of the courtroom, attacked photo journalists and policemen on duty. It was obvious the local police failed to protect the accused and were clueless when the mob attacked them. Late in the evening, SSP Ghaziabad Naveen Arora accepted that there had been lapses by police. In a swift action, Arora suspended the Station Officer RK Paliwal, court police post in charge and a Sub-Inspector for their "grave negligence". Earlier in the scuffle, SHO of Kavi Nagar police station sustained sprain in his right palm and his colleague Narender Singh sustained cut on his left arm as he was trying to protect himself from the mob. The rowdy scene continued for about 20 minutes and could be brought under control only when the CBI team swiftly sneaked Pandher into a private car and took him to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in Delhi. The two were later discharged after first aid and doctors said that the bruises were minor and there was nothing to worry about. Earlier, the CBI team took Pandher and co-accused Koli to the court of Special Judicial Magistrate Sapna Mishra. The CBI team reached the court at 10.30 am in five cars from the front gate of the court. Keeping in view the heavy rush in the verandah of the court compound, the court was bolted from inside and at 11.00 am, the magistrate, after hearing CBI arguments reserved the judgement on extension of the custody remand and left for her chamber. When the accused were waiting for the judgement, a strong mob barged into the courtroom and started beating Pandher. The television cameras from the verandah took the live shots of the scene. When some of those in the crowd realised that they were being shot by TV crew, they started hitting the cameramen injuring a television journalist Sunil who sustained injuries on his forehead. The violent mob continued hitting Pandher and Koli for about 20 minutes with the former getting the maximum blows. Later in the day, son of Pandher, Karan announced from Chandigarh that he would approach Amnesty International for the blatant violation of human rights. After the lapse of an hour when television channels had aired the scene live, the Bar Association of Ghaziabad realised the gravity of the situation and accused the channels for aggravating the issue and demanded that cameras be sent out of the court compound. A senior lawyer said this was just to save fellow lawyers who had participated in thrashing the accused. Later, the Special Judicial Magistrate sent the two to CBI custody remand till February 8. Meanwhile, SSP Ghaziabad Naveen Arora said on the complaint of COII Ram Mohan Singh an FIR had been lodged against seven lawyers in addition to some unidentified criminals under Sections 147, 148, 149, 307, 353, 333, 7 of Criminal Procedure Code and Prevention of Public Property Act. The SSP said he would reveal their names soon. SP City Govind Agarwal had been assigned to inquire into the details and lawyers had been asked to maintain law and order in the court premises. |
| Posted by:john |