New Delhi — Jagtar Singh, a 22yearold commando in the former Prime Minister’s security setup was on Friday sentenced to one year’s rigorous imprisonment for having been in possession of a live gun cartridge on the day of Indira Gandhi’s assassination.
Reading the sentence, the metropolitan magistrate, Mr. Rakesh Kapoor, observed that the recovery of the cartridge from a person posted as a commando in the prime minister’s residence “Speaks volumes of the indiscipline which has crept into the forces which are expected to be highly disciplined.”
While the act of the accused was grave and calls for heavy punishment’ the magistrate said he was taking a lenient view in the matter of punishment because of the young age of Jagtar Singh.
Jagtar Singh was arrested on October 31 last year following the recovery of the cartridge from the pocket of his woolen shirt during a search of his quarters. He has been under custody since then.
Mr. Kapoor ordered that the period of detention undergone as an under trial shall be set off against the one year jail term.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 15, 1985
