In a shocking incident, Bagappa Harijan (40), a notorious criminal facing several charges, was shot at by an unknown assailant inside the district court premises here on Tuesday.
According to the police, around 10.30 a.m. when Harijan came to the court for a hearing of his cases, the assailant shot five rounds at him. They said that Harijan, who was out on bail, came to the court in a private vehicle with his supporters.
An accused in multiple criminal cases, including murder, extortion, kidnap and illegal possession of weapons, Harijan is related to Chandappa Harijan, a notorious gangster from Indi taluk who was killed in an encounter in 2001.
According to eyewitnesses, when Harijan got off his vehicle, a youth waiting near the two-wheeler parking area inside the court premises started shooting at him.
Harijan was shifted to BLDE Hospital here where he underwent a surgery. Sources in the hospital said that his condition was critical and three bullets had been removed surgically.
Superintendent of Police Kuldeep Jain, who visited the spot, told reporters that a special team had been formed to track the attacker. He also suspected personal rivalry to be the reason behind the attack.
Meanwhile, the District Bar Association has demanded the district administration to provide adequate security to the court premises and install CCTV cameras. The association said that though they had submitted several proposals in this regard, no action had been taken.
The association has now decided to boycott the court proceedings on Wednesday to protest against the failure of the district administration to provide security in the court.
