Bihar govt to provide security to judicial officers

Patna, Nov 14 (UNI) Concerned with the recent murder of Assistant Public Prosecutor (APP) of Begusarai Ram Naresh Sharma, the Bihar government has decided to provide security cover to judicial officers, Public Prosecutors (PPs) and Additional Public Prosecutors (APPs) engaged in speedy trial of the cases.

Additional Director General of Police (headquarters) Anil Sinha said here today that the security would be given as per the requirements and on the demand made by the judicial officers conducting speedy trial of the cases initiated to book the criminals, for providing justice to the people at large.

He said the Superintendents of Police (SPs) had been directed to look into the security aspects of the judicial officers, PPs and APPs in their jurisdiction and had also been asked to provide them the security cover once the demand was made.

Mr Sinha admitted that the criminals, against whom speedy trial had been initiated, might harm the people engaged in the process and security cover for them was essential for their protection.

Regarding the demands made by the State Bar Council for providing licenses of firearms to the advocates who had already applied for it, Mr Sinha said the deserving applicants would be given the facility only after proper verification of the documents.

He said the District Magistrates had been asked to look into the matter.

Meanwhile, about 85,000 practising lawyers, associated with the Bihar State Bar Council, had decided to boycott judicial functionings all over the state tomorrow in protest against the murder of APP of Begusarai Ram Naresh Sharma.

According to the decision taken in an emergency meeting of the council held here yesterday, the advocates would abstain from judicial work right from subdivisional level courts to Patna High Court.

The advocates demanded Rs 25 lakh compensation and a government job to one of the family members of Mr Sharma, who was shot dead by unidentified miscreants at Pokharia Mohalla under Town police station in Begusarai district on November eight.

Meanwhile, the state Cabinet sanctioned Rs ten lakh for payment of compensation to the next of kin of Mr Sharma, representing the prosecution in several cases involving Lok Janashakti Party MP from Balia parliamentary constituency Suraj Bhan Singh.

Cabinet secretary Girish Shankar said the killing had adversely affected the morale of prosecution counsels, witnesses and judicial officers across the state and in view of the gravity of the situation, the state government decided to pay ex-gratia of Rs ten lakh to the bereaved family.

UNI