4 min readNew DelhiApr 22, 2023 10:47 AM IST
First published on: Apr 21, 2023 at 02:40 PM IST
Shots rang out for close to a minute on the Saket district court premises Friday morning as a suspended lawyer chased a woman and allegedly fired multiple times at her, before fleeing on his scooter.
The accused, Kameshwar Kumar Singh (49), was later arrested from his brother’s home in Faridabad by a Delhi Police Crime Branch team led by ACP Umesh Barthwal and Inspector Rakesh Sharma. The woman, M Radha (42), sustained injuries after two bullets grazed her left abdomen and right arm. She was taken to Max Hospital, Saket. A lawyer’s clerk, Ajay Singh Chauhan, also received bullet injuries on his right arm in the scuffle.
A video of the incident showed Singh training his pistol at Radha on the stairs leading up to the lawyers’ block and shooting several rounds at her, even as the latter screams and starts running towards the other side.
According to police, the motive appeared to be personal enmity — the accused had filed a case last year alleging the woman had cheated him of Rs 25 lakh. The hearing in the case was on Friday.
Special Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ravindra Yadav said Singh claimed he had threatened to kill the woman in court in front of everyone if she didn’t return his money. “Today, the accused stopped her near the lawyers block and asked her to return his money, but she refused. He then took a licensed revolver from his private security guard, Ajay, and fired four rounds at the victim,” he said.
How it unfolded
Eyewitnesses told The Indian Express that around 10.30 pm, when the woman came out of the court’s North Wing, the accused, dressed in lawyer’s robes, whi-pped out a pistol from under a file he was holding. Advocate Suga-ndha Taneja said: “… the woman ran back towards the North Wing but the accused kept chasing her and firing multiple rounds…”
Taneja added that the shooting went on for almost a minute before Singh entered the lawyers’ block and fled towards the parking area before escaping. Officers added that when a few lawyers tried to chase him, he fired another round in the air.
Akhil Chakraborty, a family friend accompanying Radha for the hearing, said he tried to stop the accused, but the latter started firing indiscriminately.
Special CP Yadav said CCTVs were analysed to track the accused: “His last location was traced to Surya Nagar in Faridabad…from where he was eventually arrested.”
During questioning, Singh said he was a practising advocate at Saket court, but the Bar Council of Delhi had suspended his licence for three years till 2024.
Police have lodged a case of attempt to murder and under the Arms Act in the case.
Security lapse, say lawyers
Lawyers said the court premises has six entry gates — two each for clients, lawyers and judges. Private security personnel, officers of Delhi Police, CRPF and personnel of Tripura Rifles are assigned to guard all the gates.
Raising concern over the “lack” of verification of lawyers by guards and personnel at entry gates, advocate Dheer Singh Kasana said, “There should be separate stickers for each district court, wherein the advocate’s name and enrollment number should be written and it should be renewed yearly… Currently, there is only a common sticker of BCD issued to all lawyers which is not renewed periodically.”
He added that Singh already had a lawyer’s uniform and had a BCD sticker affixed to his vehicle, which helped him enter the court despite being suspended.
Saket Bar Association President Vinod Sharma said: “Security is always tightened on court premises and guards at the gate are equipped with hand-held and door-frame metal detectors… Bar association members have held meetings with senior officers for enhanced security and more force will be deployed in the coming weeks.”
DCP (South) Chandan Chow-dhary said there has been no security lapse on part of Delhi Police deployed on the court premises, however, security arrangements will further be strengthened.
On how the accused managed to enter through gate number 2 with a gun, police said a probe is underway.
Edited by Nikitha Phyllis
Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Chandan Chowdhary said that the incident was reported at 10.30 am. The police said the accused was wearing a lawyer’s robe and hid the gun under a file. (ANI) 
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