Ranchi: Lawyer who represented Richa Bharti against Quran distribution order shot dead, property dispute suspected.

Source – opindia.com

Ram Pravesh Singh, a 47-year-old lawyer in Ranchi was shot dead on Monday night in Ranchi. As per reports, the incident occurred in Road number 5 in Sarvodaya Nagar, under the Kanke police station limits.

In a CCTV footage that has been going viral on social media, Ram Pravesh Singh can be seen standing near his car, in his lawyer’s robes, when the assailant had approached him casually. The assailant was seen slowly and casually walking towards the lawyer and suddenly raising the gun he had kept hidden in his hands behind his back. Ram Pravesh Singh was shot dead from a point-blank range and the bullet had gone through his head, causing instant death.

He was taken to RIMS for treatment but the doctors there had declared him brought dead. The incident happened close to the lawyer’s house. Police have stated that Ram Pravesh Singh had a property dispute going on with a person named Chhotu Lakra regarding a plot of land in Misir Gonda. He had also registered an FIR against Chhotu Lakra on 23 October following a fight. The police have taken Lakra and his relative Ramesh into custody for interrogation.

Reports say the murderer and his associate had conducted a recce of the area around Singh’s residence. The bike-borne associate had helped the murderer escape after shooting Singh.

The lawyers of Ranchi Bar Association have severely condemned the brutal murder of a colleague. Kundan Prakash Singh, the General Secretary of Ranchi District Bar Association has stated that it is a cause of deep concern that a lawyer has been gunned down by criminals so daringly. He added that the crime shows the boldness of criminals and the anarchy. He had also emphasised on security for the lawyers stating that losing clients often consider the lawyer as their enemy.

The murder of a lawyer in the capital city so close to the assembly elections has created a stir in the region. The lawyers have called for a strike and have boycotted work on Tuesday, taking a silent march in the capital’s streets.

It is notable here that the deceased lawyer Ram Pravesh Singh had represented Ranchi girl Richa Bharti, who had been in news headlines after a Ranchi court had ordered her to distribute copies of the Quran over a complaint against one of her Facebook posts.

Richa Bharti had declined to distribute the Quran copies, saying it violates her rights to free speech and rights to religion. The case had created headlines across the nations, and lawyers of the Ranchi Bar Association, led by Kundan Prakash, had then taken out protests too, demanding the transfer of the judge Manish Kumar Singh, who had issued the order.

Following widespread outrage against such an order, the Ranchi court had finally modified the order. The case had created national headlines and had stirred many people to volunteer to contribute towards Richa’s legal expenses.

Law Student Abducted Near Ranchi’s VIP Zone, Raped at Gunpoint by 12 Men.

Source – news18.com

Ranchi: A 25-year-old law student was abducted and gang-raped by 12 men at gunpoint at a brick kiln near Ranchi’s high-security zone this week.

According to a report in Times of India, all 12 accused have confessed to the crime.

As per the FIR lodged by the victim at Kanke police station, the incident happened at around 5.30 pm on November 26 when she was with a friend at Sangrampur area in the city outskirts. Two motorcycle-borne men accosted them and abducted the victim at gunpoint after overpowering her friends, police said.

The spot is barely 4km from her law college campus and 10 km from the chief minister’s official residence. The locality also houses the residences of the DGP, chief justice of the Jharkhand high court and the leader of the opposition, the TOI report said.

The motorbike reportedly rain out of fuel at some distance when the two men called up friends and asked them to come with a car. They then drove to the brick kiln and took turns to rape the woman.

The victim managed to reach the police station the next morning and lodged an FIR, following which police arrested the 12 accused after conducting raids.

“They were booked under sections of the Indian Penal Code, SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and Arms Act. A car, a motorcycle, a pistol, eight mobile phones and the cellphone snatched from the victim have been seized from the possession of the accused,” a police statement added. ​