Shimla: Tension in the city having subsided after the death of a young man by a police gunshot late on Wednesday night, the time bound magisterial enquiry ordered has got underway, done a spot visit and recorded the statement of the victims who survived a bullet injury.
NK Leth, magistrate law and order who is holding the enquiry in the police firing incident told Hill Post know that after doing a spot visit early in the day and taking possession of the FIR copies registered with the police station, statement of Harsh Sharma, who was injured in the fight, had been recorded.
Leth said that the statement of the medical officer who treated Harsh and Udaybir, the victim who succumbed to a police bullet wound, has also been recorded.
He added that despite Saturday being a holiday, court would be held tomorrow to record the statement of Nitin, constable Ranbir Singh and constable Rahul, who were the other people involved in the scuffle on Wednesday night that resulted into policemen firing bullets.
He said that the magisterial inquiry was a time bound one and much of the material had been taken on record. The enquiry would be completed within the time frame.
District police who are investigating the case separately, in a communiqué state that they have taken the weapon of offence, which included a 9 mm service pistol and two iron rods, two empty shells and the vehicle of the assailants into possession.
Meanwhile chief minister Virbhadra Singh made a suo motto statement on the floor of the house at the Vidhan Sabha at Dharamshala letting the legislators know about the firing incident that led to the death of Udaybir.
Giving details the chief minister said that constable Ranvir Singh and Rahul were on duty at a compound at Tara Devi where impounded vehicles by police are parked. At about 11.30 p.m. the duo noticed some miscreants indulging in vandalism.
On challenging the miscreants, the constables on duty caught hold of Nitin, a resident of Phagli, Shimla.
When the constables were interrogating Nitin, the other miscreants came in a car and in a bid to free Nitin attempted to run over constable Ranvir Singh.
The policemen were also attacked with iron rods and pelted with stones. Ranvir, in self defense, fired some rounds and two of the assailants were injured.
They were shifted to the hospital, where assailant Udaybir succumbed to his injuries.
The chief minister also let the house know that a case FIR no. 4/2013 under section 307, 353, 332, 379, 511 and 34 IPC against the assailants and another case FIR No. 5/13 under section 304 IPC against constable Ranvir Singh had been registered. Both cases are under investigation, said Virbhadra.
Besides the police investigation, the government has also ordered a magisterial enquiry and ADM (Law & Order) Shimla was conducting the enquiry into the entire incident, the chief minister stated.
As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads a team of media professionals at Hill Post.
Spanning a career of over two decades in mass communication, as a Documentary Filmmaker, TV journalist, Print Media journalist and with Online & Social Media, he brings with him a vast experience. He lives in Shimla.
What else a cop should do if attacked? Let them kill him?