A day after the Punjab and Haryana High Court took suo motu cognisance of the shooting at High Court Bar Association’s former secretary Gagandeep Jammu and the larger issue of court security, a Division Bench on Thursday kept open the possibility of a CBI probe into the attack, but made it clear that such a course was not warranted at this stage.
“We can think about that only when they don’t take any effective steps,” the Bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjiv Berry observed, while directing Punjab to submit a fresh status report by May 25, when the court would review the progress of the investigation.
At the onset, senior advocate and UT senior standing counsel Amit Jhanji submitted what mattered the most at the current stage was not merely enhancing protection, but ensuring that culprits are apprehended. “What is more necessary today is that those culprits are caught. Yes, security, of course, we can keep on enhancing it.”
Representing the Bar, president Rohit Sud flagged the gangster culture. He told the Bench that the attack reflected a disturbing pattern of gangster-linked crime in Punjab. “Transferring the investigation to CBI in such a case also would be also appropriate,” he said. The Bench, however, stopped short of ordering a CBI probe immediately, indicating that it would “take a fresh look” and pass “suitable orders” after hearing the matter again on May 25.
The court’s scrutiny extended beyond the attack itself to the progress of the investigation, alleged media leaks of CCTV footage and glaring vulnerabilities in High Court security. The Bench on Wednesday was told that unidentified assailants had opened fire at Jammu while he was travelling in Punjab; bullets struck his vehicle but he escaped unhurt. The Mohali police registered an FIR under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Arms Act on his complaint alleging that the attackers were on a motorcycle.
The Bench noted that the incident had occurred on May 18 around 8.15 pm and statements indicated that “two persons… on the motorcycle coming from behind” had fired at the vehicle, but the investigators had yet to trace even the motorcycle allegedly used.
“Even the motorcycles have not been found,” the court asked. On being told no breakthrough had occurred, the Bench responded: “So that’s also a very serious one.” The court also questioned how media outlets obtained CCTV clips during ongoing probe.
Alongside the shooting probe, the hearing turned into a wider examination of security arrangements inside the High Court complex. The Bench made an appeal to lawyers over security checks, saying resistance to frisking complicated safety measures.
