A man posing as a lawyer brought a gun into a Delhi court and opened fire on a woman he was on trial with, local media reported. The man managed to escape through a window, but was apprehended shortly after. This is the second time in recent days that gunmen posing as lawyers have brought guns into an Indian court.
The incident took place on Friday morning in the district court in the southern part of the capital India. A woman named Radha, whose name has not been made public, appeared in court that day for a hearing regarding her financial dispute with a man named Rajendra Jha. The man claimed that the woman had extorted a large sum of money from him. According to the media, he accused her of embezzlement of 250,000. Indian rupees (equivalent to about PLN 12.8 thousand – ed.) for an investment that was supposed to bring “big profits”.
Jha, according to the local station NDTV, was a former barrister previously suspended by the Bar Council of India. Despite this, he came to court that day disguised as a lawyer in order, presumably, to pass security checks more easily. Footage later posted on social media shows Jha approaching the woman he is accusing in a crowded court complex, taking aim and firing. In total, it was supposed to fire four missiles, the ANI news agency reported. They hit Radha and one of her lawyers. The injured woman was immediately taken to the hospital, her condition was not reported by the media. Rajendra Jha managed to escape from the courthouse through a window after the attack, but was apprehended after a short chase.
Security in Delhi
Delhi’s official Arvind Kejriwal commented on the attack on Twitter, saying “law and order in Delhi is in ruins.” The media recall that also a few days earlier, in another court in Delhi, two men disguised as lawyers shot and killed a real lawyer. After that attack, a special petition was submitted to the Supreme Court calling for additional security measures for lawyers.
NDTV, Hindustan Times, The Independent
Main photo source: Shutterstock