Snatching of pistol from judge’s PSO: Haryana IPS officer’s probe finds no criminal conspiracy

The Haryana IPS officer, who conducted a probe into the September 22 incident wherein a man snatched the service pistol of a high court (HC) judge’s personal security officer (PSO) at the Golden Temple and shot himself dead, has found no criminal conspiracy in the incident.

IPS officer Manisha Chaudhary, AIR/administration, Haryana, Panchkula, in her report has told the high court that the investigation has been concluded and a closure report has been prepared, thus indicating that the incident was not related to the judge. Detailed report on the same was submitted to HC, content of which has not been shared since it was a sealed cover report.

The report was shared during the resumed hearing of a suo motu plea initiated on September 24 after the incident came to light. According to reports, an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) was accompanying the judge who had come to pay obeisance at the shrine. Suddenly, the man snatched the pistol of the officer and shot himself dead. Later, the deceased was identified as a resident of Tamil Nadu, who was stated to be mentally unstable by the police. Chaudhary was entrusted with the probe on October 1. The probe was initiated to ascertain whether there was some criminal conspiracy behind it.

Meanwhile, the high court has also summoned the superintendent of police, security & traffic, UT Chandigarh, Sumer Partap Singh, for the hearing on January 13. He was summoned after the high court found that in the latest report threat perception in respect of the judge, whose PSO’s pistol was snatched in Amritsar, has been “heightened”. However, in November a counsel appearing for the Chandigarh administration had taken a contrary stand with respect to threat perception about the judge.