Constable gets 10 years jail for shooting civilian

Press Trust of India, New Delhi, October 09, 2011

A city policeman has been sentenced to ten years in jail for trying to kill a civilian by firing at him from his service revolver after having a tiff with him over a road mishap in 2004. “The convict being a constable of Delhi Police was a guardian of law who took law into his own hands and fired a shot at an innocent person in public place. Unless deterrent punishment is imposed on such an indisciplined person, it may provide  impetus to indisciplined persons in disciplined forces", said district and additional sessions judge PS Teji while sentencing 43-year-old suspended police constable Vikram.

The court found Vikram, a constable with Delhi Police  since 1988, guilty of attempting to kill motorcyclist Subhash by shooting him in the chest on September 16, 2004 near Mayur Vihar.

As per the prosecution, Subhash and his nephew Sunder were going on his motorcycle when a black Santro car, driven by Vikram hit their motorcycle.

This led to an altercation during which Vikram took out his service revolver and fired at Subhash.

Subhash was rushed to a hospital where he regained consciousness after a month.

In his defence, Vikram contended that he was on patrolling duty when he was hit by Subhash and his associates and Subhash accidentally sustained the gun shot injury when he tried to snatch his pistol. The court, however, rejected his theory of accidental fire.

“Accused happened to be a police officer who is supposed to be a trained person to carry and use the weapon in a manner that it could not fire until and unless it is need of hour. It is common knowledge that a revolver does not fire accidentally as it does not fire unless its trigger is pulled with power,” the court said.

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