Police officers assault Bihar judge; Patna High Court summons Chief Secretary, DGP

In a shocking incident from Bihar, two police officers allegedly assaulted and abused an Additional District and Sessions Judge inside his chamber on Thursday..An order passed by the Patna High Court based on the information received from District and Sessions Judge of Madhubani, narrated the sequence of events.The order was passed on a suo motu case initiated by the High Court after receiving the communication from District and Sessions Judge, Madhubani regarding the incident.The order said that Station House Officer Gopal Krishna and Sub-Inspector of Police of Ghoghardiha, Abhimanyu Kumar Sharma forcibly entered the chamber of judge Avinash Kumar who is an Additional District and Sessions Judge, Jhanjharpur, and started abusing him.On his protest, both police officers manhandled the Judge and physically assaulted him, the High Court order said."They also took out their service revolvers and wanted to attack the officer. However, certain Court employees and Advocates reached their due to which life of the officer was saved," the order stated..The High Court said that prima facie, it appeared that the episode is such that it puts the independence of judiciary in jeopardy.The Court, therefore, issued notice to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police of Bihar, the Principal Secretary, Home Department, Government of Bihar and the Superintendent of Police, Madhubani."In view of the magnitude and enormity of the issues involved, the Director General of Police, Bihar is directed to remain present on the next date of hearing," the Court added.The matter will be heard again on November 29..The incident has occurred barely few months after a judge from Jharkhand, Dhanbad Additional District and Sessions judge Uttam Anand was killed when he was out on his morning walk. A four wheeler had deliberately knocked him down as he was walking along the edge of the road. The incident was captured by a CCTV camera. After his death, the Jharkhand High Court took suo motu cognizance of the incident and is monitoring the probe into the same. The Supreme Court had also registered a suo motu case in the wake of judge Anand's death to consider the safety and security mechanism in place for courts and judges across the country.The case titled IN RE : SAFEGUARDING COURTS AND PROTECTING JUDGES (DEATH OF ADDITIONAL SESSIONS JUDGE, DHANBAD) is pending before the top court..[Read Order]