Mumbai Crime: Man stabs three inside Bhoiwada court after judge acquits them

After failing to get justice in court, a complainant in an assault case decided to take the law in his own hands at the Bhoiwada court on Wednesday. Harishchandra Shirkar, 67, the complainant, attacked the three accused in his case with a knife after they were making their way out of court following their acquittal. Shirkar's brutal attack left two of the men seriously injured. Back in 2009, Shirkar was attacked by Mahesh Mhaprolkar, 41, Nandesh Kadwadkar, 47 and another accused Shirkar had filed a complaint against the men in Dadar police station. The trial for the same was running in the Bhoiwada court, where the metropolitan magistrate was going to pronounce the sentence.

After the accused laughed at Shirkar, he attacked them with a knife. After the accused laughed at Shirkar, he attacked them with a knife. Representation pic/Thinkstock

Laughed at him
Around 12.30 pm, the magistrate pronounced sentence and the trio was acquitted. "After magistrate said the accused have been acquitted, the three of them embraced each other. They were escorted by a policeman to a desk towards the end of the courtroom to complete the court procedure," said an officer, adding, "While they were walking, the three laughed at Shirkar, who was sitting in the court room. They were signing documents seated on one table." Another officer said, "Shirkar then stood up and went behind trio and began attacking them with a knife he had. Mhaprolkar and Kadwadkar suffered injuries on their head and shoulders. The third accused managed to flee," said another officer.

"The constables on duty and those who accompanied the accused to court ran towards Shirkar and apprehended him, disarming him instantly. The injured were immediately taken to KEM Hospital," said N Ambika DCP, zone 4, adding, "Prima facie it seems that the acquittal of the accused resulted in the assault."

Expecting sentencing
Harishchandra has a small-time garments business and had been attending every date of the trial. "He was expecting they might be sentenced, but he got a fair idea that the accused will be acquitted. On top of that, when the accused laughed at him in the court room, he lost his temper and attacked them," said a source. "The three of them should get some punishment for attacking me with stones. They were acquitted and I stood there like a fool, that's why I got justice by myself," Harishchandra told investigating cops.

Shivering with anger
"He was shivering with anger and stood in the courtroom like a rock after the attack, it was horrible sight," said advocate Ashwini Kumar Pathak, an eyewitness. "Everyone present there ran helter skelter to save their life. There was blood all over the floor of the court room and the passage," Pathak recalled. As for Shirkar, he has been booked under section 326 (Voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means) of the Indian Penal Code and will be presented in court on Thursday. "We are investigating where he got the knife from," said another police officer.

Also view - Padmavati row: How a Bollywood movie got caught in a political storm