Rathore attacker targets Arushi father with cleaver

The attacker,identified as Utsav Sharma,had earlier stabbed former Haryana Director General of Police S P S Rathore,who was convicted in the Ruchika Girhotra molestation case.

Talwar,who suffered injuries on his right cheek and ear,was rushed to Sarvodaya Hospital from where he was referred to Delhi’s Apollo Hospital,said Ghaziabad SSP Raghubir Lal.

Sharma,a resident of Varanasi,was caught and beaten up by lawyers and handed over to police.

“He (Sharma) is the same person who had attacked S P S Rathore outside a Panchkula court with a knife in February last year,” Lal said. “As Talwar came out of the court and was moving towards a photocopy shop on the court premises,Sharma attacked him with a cleaver.”

Sharma had been waiting at a tea stall and attacked Talwar when he emerged from the court. Talwar sustained injuries on his fingers as well and was bleeding profusely as his lawyer whisked him away.

“Sharma has been arrested under IPC Section 307 (attempt to murder). The National Security Act will also be invoked after we get permission,as the situation could have gotten worse if the advocates had started rioting,” Lal said. “He is post-graduate in animation and film design from the NID in Ahmedabad. He had come to Delhi for the India Art Summit that was held at Pragati Maidan between January 21 and 23. He was staying at the Sanskrit Vidyalaya Lal Bahadur Shastri guesthouse.”

According to the SSP,Sharma bought a cleaver from Chandni Chowk for Rs 250 and then came to Ghaziabad. He had been monitoring the Arushi-Hemraj case and wanted media attention,Lal said.

The SSP was,however,silent on the lack of security at the local court,which had witnessed a similar incident in January 2007 when the accused in the Nithari cases — Moninder Singh Pandher and Surinder Koli — were attacked by a mob in the court.

“We have had talks in past on increasing police security in the court,but it all went unheard,” said Naresh Choudhary,former president of the Bar Association.

Following the attack,special CBI court judge Preeti Singh adjourned the hearing until February 8.

Talwar’s condition is said to be stable. A doctor at the Sarvodaya Hospital said Talwar was in a semi-conscious state when he was brought in. He had bled profusely because of the cuts,the doctor said.