Judge Assault Case: Supreme Court Rejects PIL Saying Nothing Suspicious Found in Police Inquiry

Judge Assault Case: Supreme Court Rejects PIL Saying Nothing Suspicious Found in Police Inquiry

The Supreme Court of India (SC) dismissed a plea seeking registration of an FIR and initiation of contempt proceedings against a Police officer for allegedly assaulting a District Judge in Aurangabad, saying Bihar Police found nothing in their inquiry.

The SC bench consisting of Justices A M Khanwilkar and Aniruddha Bose referred to the response of the Bihar Police and told Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petitioner and Advocate Vishal Tiwari that the plea can't be allowed to remain pending in view of the fact that the inquiry could not verify the allegations of assault. The Top Court rejected to hear further the PIL in the proceedings conducted through video conferencing.

It was alleged in the PIL that District Judge Dinesh Kumar Pradhan in Aurangabad in Bihar was assaulted by a police officer in October 2020.

On 16 December 2020, the Court had issued notices to the Government of Bihar, Bihar's Director General of Police, Superintendent of Police of Aurangabad district, and Sub-Inspector Pranav Kumar, who had allegedly assaulted the District Judge.

Directions were sought for registration of the FIR through the plea and for initiation of criminal contempt proceedings against the police officer who had allegedly assaulted the judicial officer. The Advocate Tiwari in the PIL had also sought an inquiry into the incident by a panel of 2 serving HC Judges.

It was alleged in the PIL that the District Judge was abused, threatened, and assaulted when he was on an evening walk by a Bihar Police sub-inspector, who was accompanied by some Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel on election patrol duty.

The PIL had also mentioned that the sub-inspector had a grudge against the District Judge as he had taken action against him and a few other police officers for dereliction of duty a few months back.

The Bihar Judicial Services Association had earlier written a letter to the DGP seeking action against the erring officer, but no step was taken yet in connection with the incident, it had claimed.

It was mentioned in the plea that "Attack and assault upon the Judges & Magistrates by police not only lowers the dignity of the judiciary but also leaves an impression in the minds of the public that when the judicial officers are not safe from police atrocities than what safety the public will expect."

It was further highlighted in the plea that "The Judges of the subordinate judiciary are the vital part of our judicial system. The assault upon them with the feeling of a grudge is the assault upon the dignity and supremacy of the judiciary of this country, which cannot be tolerated and requires strict punishment against the erring police officials under the contempt law."