Fact Check: WhatsApp Message On Motive Of PSO Shooting The Wife & Son Of A Judge In Gurugram
Recently, a WhatsApp message in Hindi, has been shared on various WhatsApp groups in reference to the gruesome shooting in busy market in Gurugram, Haryana on 13th October 2018, wherein a police constable (PSO) shot the wife and son of an Additional Session Judge. This message is spreading a misleading & false narrative.
NARRATIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA
“कल से हर न्यूज चैनल पर यही देखने और सुनने को मिल रहा है कि पुलिस के एक सनकी सिपाही ने जज की पत्नी और बेटे को गोली मार दी।
लेकिन किसी ने इस घटना का कारण नहीं बतलाया चलिये मैं आपको बताता हूँ कि उस साथी ने ऐसा कदम क्यों उठाया गनमैन के घर से बार बार फोन आ रहे थे कि आपका बच्चा बीमार है और उसकी हालत नाजुक बनी हुई है जिस पर गनमैन ने जज साहब से कहा कि उसको घर जाने दीजिये उसके बच्चे की जान खतरे में है लेकिन जज साहब ने कहा कि पहले मेरी पत्नी और लड़के को शॉपिंग करवाकर लाओ वरना सस्पेंड करवा दूँगा जिस पर सिपाही जहर का घूंट पी कर रह गया लेकिन रास्ते में सिपाही के घर से फोन आया कि आपका एकलौता बच्चा भगवान को प्यारा हो गया है जिसके बाद गनमैन ने आपा खो दिया और इस घटना को अंजाम दिया।। “
Translation of the WhatsApp text:
"From yesterday on every news channel, it is being seen and heard that a crazy constable of police shot a judge's wife and son.
But no one would tell the reason for this incident. So, let me tell you why that fellow took such a step. Phone calls were coming from the house of the gunman repeatedly, that your son is ill and his condition remains fragile.
Hearing this, the gunman had requested from the Judge that he be allowed to go home as his son's life was in danger. But the Judge told him that he should, “first take my wife and son for shopping or else I would suspend you.”
At that particular moment, the constable controlled his anger and insult, but while on the way to the market, he got a call from his home that his only child had passed away. Hearing this tragic news, the constable lost his wits and did this shooting."
OUR FACT CHECK
Fact Crescendo team did a fact check on this issue. We found the following:
The WhatsApp message is spreading false & misleading statements about an actual event.
We did a reverse image search and found that the image of Mahipal Singh shared with the message, could have been taken from Mahipal Singh’s facebook account :
https://www.facebook.com/mahipal.ji.169
Our readers can also view the archived Facebook page here.
Also, as per the WhatsApp message, Mahipal’s only child was unwell and subsequently died. Hearing the tragic news of his son’s death, Mahipal Singh loses his wits and shots the wife & son of Additional Sessions Judge Krishan Kant in the market where they had gone shopping. This was done to take revenge on Judge Krishan Kant for not allowing him leave to go and take care of his allegedly sick son who subsequently died.
So, whats true? And what’s false?
TRUE:
- Mahipal Singh was a Haryana police head constable and was serving as personal security guard (PSO) of the Additional Sessions Judge Krishan Kant for nearly past two years.
- On Saturday, 13th October 2018, Additional Sessions Judge Krishan Kant's wife Ritu and their son Dhruv who was 18 years old only, had gone for shopping in the Arcadia market Saturday when they were shot by personal security officer (PSO) Mahipal Singh, in Arcadia Market, Sector 49, Gurugram around 3:30pm. Mahipal escaped in the judge’s car, as people looked on. And both Ritu & Dhruv were admitted to a hospital in critical condition.
- Additional Sessions Judge Krishan Kant in a statement said that after committing the crime, Mahipal informed him about the incident on the phone.
- On 14th October, Regional Medical Officer, Gurgaon Civil Hospital, Pawan Choudhary confirmed the death of wife Ritu and said the post-mortem examination had been conducted. The son, Dhruv, who was shot in the head, is brain dead. He has been put on life support system. It would be a miracle if he is saved, the medical officer had said.
- The police on 13th Oct’18 itself, had arrested the gunman from Gurugram-Faridabad road about two hours after the shooting incident, but said that they are yet to ascertain the motive behind the crime.
- The accused was terminated from the police department on 14th October 2018.
- The police have denied earlier probable reasons given, like "fight with wife" and "not getting leaves", as motives for shooting the judge's wife and son. The investigation is still on. Haryana Police chief B S Sandhu said the motive behind the shooting was still not clear. “We are trying to ascertain the reason behind this ghastly act. Our top priority is to solve the case,” he said.
- As per Hindustan Times article, police commented that Mahipal Singh had been allegedly watching videos related to religion and it is suspected that he had been attending ‘conversion’ camps. However, HT (Hindustan Times) could not independently verify that claim. The police also could not explain as to how his alleged attendance at such camps could be connected to Saturday’s shooting.
Our readers can read various HT articles on this incident below:
- Gurugram shooter mentally sound, motive still unclear
- Guard who shot Gurugram judge’s wife-son spent hours on internet, say police
- Gurugram shooting mother & cousin of gunman detained for interrogation
On 14th October 2018, Mahipal Singh was brought to a Gurgaon court at 1 pm which sent him to four-day police custody. The Gurgaon Police had sought a week's custody for extensive interrogation of Mahipal to establish the reason why he shot Ritu and Dhruv Kant. It has set up a Special Investigation Team to investigate the case from all angles.
Below is a video captured by public, showing the aftermath of shooting, when Mahipal Singh was trying to push Druv’s body into the car unsuccessfully.
***THE VIDEO CONTAINS CONTENT SOME MAY FIND DISTURBING***
As per various news media report’s, what we could ascertain was that:
- Mahipal Singh has two daughters. One of his daughters was allegedly unwell on that fateful day but not in critical condition as portrayed in the WhatsApp message.
- As per an NDTV article online, Mahipal's uncle, Daan Singh, claimed that Mahipal was not given leave though he told the judge that his daughter needed urgent medical attention. "On the day of the incident, Mahipal had received repeated calls from his wife asking him to reach home early to take his daughter to a doctor," Daan Singh told reporters at his hometown Rewari. Mahipal's uncle also claimed he resented the judge's family for "mistreating" him and ordering him to do odd jobs and run errands, though he was on official duty. Daan Singh said when Mahipal begged for leave, "the judge rebuked him and asked him to take his wife and son for shopping instead.”
- “The judge's wife also allegedly scolded Mahipal when they were going to the market. When Dhruv (the son), emerging from the mall, asked for the car keys from Mahipal, he shouted at him, took out his service revolver and fired at him. When the judge's wife came to Dhruv's rescue, he fired at her as well," says the First Information Report (FIR).
Our readers can refer to NDTV article on this incident here.
So, Fact Crescendo team found out that the motives behind gruesome event which happened on 13th October are still unclear & inconclusive. Police is still investigating and as per various new media on 18th October, Mahipal Singh would be presented in front of the court.
FALSE :
X Mahipal Singh had only one child and that was a son.
X Mahipal Singh’s son was unwell and died.
X Hearing the tragic news of his son’s death Mahipal Singh lost his wits and shot the wife & son of Additional Sessions Judge Krishan Kant.
IN CONCLUSION
Fact Crescendo tags this misleading WhatsApp message as Fake and Misleading.
Fact Crescendo advises its readers to refrain from falling prey to unsubstantiated & misleading WhatsApp forwards. When in doubt, visit various news media & fact checking websites online.
Few links for our readers, to have a wider perspective on this incident: