Delhi court shooting: 'Munshi' held for involvement in attack

New Delhi, April 24 (IANS) A 'munshi' in Delhi's Saket courts, injured in the Friday incident on court premises when an assailant wearing a lawyer's garb fired upon a woman over their Rs 25 lakh monetary dispute, was arrested on Monday for involvement in the incident, police said.

The munshi was identified as Ajay Singh Chauhan.

The victim, M. Radha, in her 40s, is in stable condition while the accused, identified as Kameshwar Kumar Singh, was arrested by the Delhi Police's Crime Branch from Faridabad in neighbouring Haryana on the same day of the incident (April 21).

Chauhan, an ex-Army personnel, had also sustained gunshot wounds during the incident, but was discharged after the treatment at Max hospital.

Singh, a resident of Chattarpur and a lawyer who is presently debarred, had entered the court complex wearing a lawyer's attire and carrying a gun.

According to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, South, Chandan Chowdhary, the weapon which was used by Singh belonged to Chauhan.

"The weapon was recovered from the bushes in Faridabad at the instance of the main accused. It is a licensed weapon belonging to Chauhan who also got injured. Chauhan works as a Munshi in the court and is not a PSO," she said, adding that he also been arrested in the case.

"Chauhan was in touch with the main accused Singh and gave him the weapon, as he could sneak it in because he was in a lawyer's uniform and in normal practice, lawyers don't allow themselves to be checked at the main entry into the complex," said a police official privy to investigation.

The sources said that they are interrogating the accused to unearth the entire incident and to know when and how it was planned.

As per a video of the incident, going viral on social media, Singh could be seen running after the woman and shooting her. The woman is screaming and several people, including lawyers can be seen standing nearby.

Radha received two bullet injuries, one in abdomen and one in the hand and she was taken to Max Saket hospital and later to AIIMS for the treatment.

As per the Special CP, the accused claims that he gave Rs 25 lakh "friendly" loan to Radha, but she did not repay a single penny.

Singh had lodged the FIR last year in November against Radha and advocate Rajendra Jha under Sections 406 (Punishment for criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating), 120 B (criminal conspiracy), and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code at the Saket police station.

The Special CP had said that on Friday last week, Radha had come to attend a court matter at Saket Court and the accused stopped her near the lawyer's chamber and asked her to return his money but she refused. Thereafter, he took a revolver and fired four rounds at her.

"Thereafter, he ran away from the spot and hid himself at Surya Nagar, Ismailpur, Faridabad," said the official.