Ranchi: Just to jog your memories, a Ranchi court had asked Richa Bharti, an accused in writing a defamatory article on her FaceBook account against the holy Quran a few months ago, to distribute copies of Quran. 

But she outright refused to follow the court’s order saying her freedom to speech and expression would be violated.  Owing to massive pressure, the court had to modify its order. 

This write-up is not about Richa Bharti alone but the lawyer who chose to represent her in the courts – Ram Pravesh Singh, 47 years old.  

According to reports, he was done to death last Monday in Ranchi. The reports add that the incident occurred in Road number 5 in Sarvodaya Nagar, under the Kanke police station limits.

But was the death related to his representing Richa in the case? 

As reports have it, it is not. 

Reports add that Ram Pravesh Singh had a property dispute going on with a person named Chhotu Lakra. It was regarding a plot of land in Misir Gonda. He had also registered an FIR against Chhotu Lakra on 23 October following a fight. Presently, the police have taken Lakra and his relative Ramesh into custody for interrogation.

As per a CCTV footage, the assailant approached Ram Pravesh Singh who was standing near his car in a casual manner. Suddenly, he took the guns in his hands and shot dead the lawyer from a point-blank range and the bullet had gone through his head, causing instant death.

It is to be noted that the accused had held a recce of the area before carrying out the attack. After shooting dead the lawyer, they escaped on a bike. 

Vexed at the gunning down of their colleague, lawyers of the Ranchi Bar association had called for boycott of work and questioned how criminals can target a lawyer.