Lawyer assaults SHO, police file case

A STATION House Officer (SHO) was assaulted by a lawyer at the Karkardooma Court Complex in Shahdara on Wednesday afternoon. The lawyer had allegedly been arrested by the SHO earlier in connection with a case.

Police said that the assaulted inspector, identified as the SHO of Kalyanpuri police station, Narendra Singh, was leaving the court complex around 2.30 pm when a lawyer stopped him at the exit gate.

According to police, the lawyer obstructed Singh at the exit gate and threatened him of consequences for registering a case against him.

“The lawyer then pushed the inspector, abused him and told him that he will teach him how to wear a police uniform,” said a police officer privy to the investigation. He added that the inspector, however, did not retaliate.

DCP (Shahdara) Nupur Prasad said, “The lawyer, identified as Shiv Kumar Parashar alias Shiv Shankar, slapped the SHO at least three or four times. It is a big setback. The criminal justice system is such that police have to be present in the court... The Bar has also condemned the action of this lawyer. However, an investigation is on and he has not been arrested yet.”

A case was registered at Farsh Bazaar police station based on the inspector’s complaint under IPC sections 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions ), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) and 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint ).

Shahdara Bar Association secretary D D Pandey said that he’s aware of the incident. Asked if the bar condemns the act, he said, “When we don’t know the merits of the case, how can we comment on it?”

Prasad added that a month ago, a similar incident took place, wherein there was a scuffle between a policeman and a lawyer, but the matter was later resolved.