Just after 10 days of the shootout which took place at Jamshedpur Civil Court on November 30, an advocate was beaten up badly outside the Jharkhand High Court on Friday following arrest of a local businessman Rahul Gupta. A Division bench of Acting Chief Justice Pradip Kumar Mohanty and Justice Ananda Sen, taking cognizance of the incident directed Ranchi Police to beef up the security in Jharkhand High Court.
“Advocate Girish Mohan Singh was coming out from gate number 3 when a local businessman Rahul Gupta dashed him from his bike following which a argument was started between them which resulted into a brief scuffle during which Singh was beaten up badly,” said Circle Inspector of Doranda Police Station. Gupta has been arrested after lodging an FIR against him of committing assault causing injury and theft of his gold chain, he added.
As soon as the incident took place, Gupta was nabbed by the other advocates and was handed over to the police. “The matter was immediately put to the notice of the acting Chief Justice who took cognizance of it and called SSP Ranchi and City SP asking them to beef up security around the High Court premises giving special emphasis to the security of advocates,” said Advocates’ Association Jharkhand High Court secretary Hemant Kumar Shikarwar
“The SSP assured the court that immediate steps will be taken in this regard increasing the number of guards deputed at the Jharkhand High Court. The court was also assured by the SSP that policemen deployed at Gate No. 3 will be removed immediately,” said Shikarwar.
The person was later identified as Rahul Gupta, a local businessman, who apparently had come to the High Court branch of Bank of India located near the parking. “Gupta while coming out of the parking lot hit the advocate; beat him badly when he was asked to apologize for the same,” said the advocate.
Gupta, however, claimed that he was innocent and alleged of being falsely implicated by the advocates.
Shikarwar expressing concern on the issue said that the situation is really grave where the security personnel kept mum while the advocate was beaten up by an outsider.