Bihar police have registered an FIR against a judge in the Khagaria district, in a first of its kind case in the state, in connection with the beating and death of a 59-year-old home guard jawan Virendra Singh.

The FIR was filed after getting permission from the Patna High Court.

Judge Raj Kumar-II is at present posted as the principal judge of the family court in the Khagaria civil court and the FIR was registered at the Muffasil police station in the district on the basis of an application and statement of the deceased jawan’s son Gautam Kumar on Wednesday. Gautam has also alleged that the judge and his wife used to torture Singh for refusing to do their household chores.

He has been charged under IPC Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 337 (causing hurt by rash or negligent act to endanger human life), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), 341 (wrongful restraint), 342 (wrongful confinement) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention).

“The family members of the home guard jawan had informed about the incident with him, and had requested for an FIR. As per the legal procedure, we sought permission from the district and sessions judge of Khagaria and also from the registrar of the Patna High Court,” Khagaria district magistrate Alok Ranjan Ghosh told reporters.

Police officials asserted that the FIR was registered against the judge on the basis of evidence available with them, and further investigations were being carried.

Singh was allegedly thrashed severely and injured while at sentry duty at the judge’s residence on February 1.

A police team that had rushed to the place on the complaint by the judge that he (Singh) had trained his rifle at him, found him lying unconscious. The jawan was rushed to the Sadar hospital and later to Patna but succumbed to his injuries on February 13.

The judge registered an FIR against Singh for being irresponsible towards the duty of manning the main gate of his residence, using abusive language, pointing his gun and threatening to shoot him on being reprimanded.

The home guard association had demonstrated with Singh’s dead body outside the entrance of the Khagaria civil court on February 14.

Incidentally, the deceased had complained about lack of amenities like unavailability of drinking water, toilet and guardroom for him at the judge’s residence one day before being found unconscious and injured.