The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the conviction and life imprisonment of a constable who fatally shot his brother-in-law inside a police station over two decades ago, describing the act as “brazen”. Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Rajesh Bindal dismissed Surender Singh’s appeal, rejecting his claim of acting in self-defense when he killed the victim with his service weapon.
In a 23-page judgment, Justice Dhulia stated unequivocally, “This is clearly a case of murder on every count. The deliberate use of the service weapon, the number and location of the gunshot wounds inflicted on the deceased, all indicate the appellant’s intent to kill.” The court declined to overturn the lower courts’ decisions and revoked Singh’s bail, ordering him to surrender within four weeks to serve the remainder of his sentence.
The victim, who was married to Singh’s first cousin and also lived nearby, was allegedly involved romantically with Singh’s wife. According to the prosecution, the victim visited the Mayur Vihar police station where Singh was stationed on June 30, 2002. Eyewitnesses observed Singh and the victim conversing moments before Singh fatally shot him with his official 9-mm carbine.
Singh argued self-defense or, alternatively, that the crime was a result of sudden provocation, not amounting to murder. However, the court found the prosecution’s evidence compelling, affirming, “The motive, the location of the crime inside a police station, and the nature of the injuries leave no doubt that this was a murder committed by the appellant.”
“The firearm injury with blackening around the entry point supports the account that the victim was shot at close range. Other injuries corroborate the testimony of eyewitnesses,” the court concluded.
In light of these findings, the Supreme Court dismissed Singh’s appeal, emphasizing the severity of the crime committed within the police station premises.