PSO guilty of killing wife and son of Gurugram judge

GURUGRAM: A personal security officer (PSO) who had in 2018 gunned down the wife and son of the additional sessions judge to whom he had been assigned was on Thursday held guilty by the district court. The quantum of punishment will be pronounced in the next few days.
Mahipal, who had on the afternoon of October 13, 2018 shot at the duo on the road in front of the busy Arcadia market in South City 2 — an attack captured on mobile phones of onlookers — was convicted under IPC sections 302 (murder) and 201 (destruction of evidence) and Section 27 of the Arms Act.

The PSO had driven additional sessions judge (ASJ) Krishan Kant’s wife Ritu (42) and son Dhruv (17) to Arcadia market. After an altercation over handing over car keys, Mahipal had shot at Ritu twice, in the chest and stomach, and at Dhruv thrice, once on the shoulder and twice in the head, with his service revolver. He then tried to put Dhruv’s body in the car but after two failed attempts, abandoned the boy and drove off. Ritu succumbed to her injuries the same day while Dhruv died after 10 days at a private hospital. Judge Krishan Kant is currently posted in Ambala.
The case was heard by additional sessions judge Sudhir Parmar. As part of evidence, police and prosecution presented CCTV footage from the crime spot, Ritu’s dying declaration, Mahipal’s phone calls to judge Krishan Kant in which he confessed, and forensic reports. Around 64 witnesses recorded their statements in the case. One of them was a judge from Bihar who had recorded a video showing the 38-year-old PSO dragging Dhruv’s body and later leaving the crime scene.
An SIT formed by Gurugram police had submitted its chargesheet before the court on December 26, 2018. In its final report, police listed a total of 81 witnesses, including doctors from Paras Hospital, where the injured were initially taken, as well as Medanta Hospital, forensic experts and police personnel associated with the probe. In January 9, 2019, charges were framed and trial began on February 1.
Public prosecutor Anurag Hooda said that there was enough evidence to make it a very strong case. He said the ballistics report confirmed Mahipal had used the gun as bullet residue was found on his hand and the car’s steering wheel. The bloodstains on his clothes also matched with those of the deceased, he said, adding that the call details corroborated that after the shooting, Mahipal had called Kant and another PSO, Vinay, who was also posted with the judge, confessing to his crime.
Mahipal had claimed it was accidental firing and he had no intention to kill.
Advocate Vishal Gupta, who represented judge Krishan Kant, welcomed the verdict. “The case is unique. Never before was a member of the judiciary subjected to this kind of violence, that too by his own protector. The protector became the predator,” Gupta said, adding that keeping in view the “magnitude of the terrifying act” and its “brutality”, they will seek the death penalty.