Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, November 18
Additional District and Sessions Judge of Madhubani Avinash Kumar was assaulted by two policemen inside the court.
The officer in charge of Ghoghardiha police station, Gopal Krishna and his colleague, Sub Inspector Abhimanyu Kumar roughed up the judge, abused him, pointed revolvers at his head. When personal staff of Judge intervened, he too was assaulted.
The Judge later said the policemen were summoned by the court in a case and that angered them. They were shouting, “how did you dare to summon us, (tumhari himmat kaise hui).”
Hearing commotion in the Court, lawyers reached ADJ court and put the two erring policemen hostage. They were handed over to the Sub Divisional Magistrate and Sub Divisional Police officer who arrived at the Court.
Arun Kumar Jha, an eye witness and Vice President of the Bar Association said Judge was trembling when the lawyers went to rescue him. A chaos was created in the court as lawyers and people rushed to the Judge’s chamber to enquire about his wellbeing.
Mrs Chhaya Mishra, a leading woman member of Patna High Court Bar and former Joint Secretary of Advocate Association, described the action of the officer-in-charge and Sub Inspector of Ghoghardiha police station as despicable. She said the two policemen were angry as the ADJ had summoned them and in an earlier order had asked the Home Secretary to send SP of Madhubani for fresh training.
She said in the neighbouring Jharkhand, an ADJ was knocked down to death at Dhanbad and in Bihar, police entered the chamber of the Judge, assaulted him and hit him with their arms.
She hoped as FIR has been registered, the errant police men would be arrested soon as honourable guardian Judge Justice Parthasarathi has taken cognizance. She appealed to the lawyer colleagues not to defend the two policemen even at bail stage and also during the trial.
Meanwhile, a division bench of Patna High Court on Thursday night held an emergency court to pass an order on receipt of report from the District and session judge of Madhubani on attack on ADJ Avinash Kumar.
Justice Rajan Gupta and Justice Mohit Kumar in written order said, “the court has taken note of the incident on its motion as directed by the Chief Justice.”
An unprecedented and shocking incident took place in the court room where ADJ was physically assaulted and attacked by the police officers, the order said.
The court said “prima facie, it appears to be an attack on independence of judiciary.” The additional DG of police (headquarters) was present during the late night court hearing.
