VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, Feb. 22: As the murder of Dhanbad district judge Uttam Anand has raised a nationwide concern over the security of judges and judicial officials, a judge of Godda district court Shivpal Singh is forced to carry two unlicensed fire weapons for his safety.
Interestingly, the Godda district administration has neither renewed his licenses nor directed him to deposit his weapons despite knowing that licenses have expired many months back. Notably, the judge is learnt to have made several correspondences with the concerned district administration regarding his applications for renewal of licenses.
Shivpal Singh is currently posted as District and Additional Session Judge (I) in Godda district court. He had convicted former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav in fodder scam cases in 2018 for 14 years. He had also ordered the Enforcement Directorate to seize properties of fodder scam convicts and deceased accused under provisions of the Money Laundering Act.
It is reliably learnt that Shivpal Singh has already applied for the renewal of licenses but the concerned district arms magistrate has neither renewed nor rejected his applications for the extension of the license period.
In the case of the gun license originally issued in the name of his father Govind Singh (now late) in 2015 from Hazaribagh district, the license expired in December 2020. In 2018, it was upgraded to an India license valid till December 2020. On December 15, 2020, he applied before the deputy commissioner cum district arms magistrate for renewal of license. He was asked to apply first before the district arms magistrate of Hazaribagh with the unique number of the gun. But even after 14 months, his application for renewal of all-India license has been kept on hold.
Similar is the case with a revolver for which license was issued in the name of the judge in October 2018 from Godda district. The license of his revolver expired in October 2021. It has been almost four months since the judge applied for the renewal of the license but it is still pending. The judge had also requested the district arms magistrate if his revolver license was upgraded to an all-India permit since he is a native of Jalaun district of Uttar Pradesh. Since he regularly visits his native place hence, he applied for an all-India permit.
If a holder of a license wants to carry a weapon out of the jurisdiction, he will have to pay Rs 500 after which a 15 days permit is granted.
Deputy commissioner of Godda, Bhor Singh Yadav could not be contacted for his comment. He did not respond to a phone call and message sent a day back.
In 2018 after he delivered the judgment in two fodder scam cases in which Lalu Prasad Yadav was convicted, the judge had alleged that he had been receiving calls from well-wishers of Lalu Prasad.
