[Assault on woman lawyer] No objection if granted maximum punishment: Rajiv Khosla tells Delhi court

Former Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) President Rajiv Khosla told a Delhi court on Saturday that he has no objection if it grants him maximum punishment of two years' imprisonment for assaulting a woman lawyer in 1994 [Sujata Kohli (State) v Rajiv Khosla]..In his written submissions filed before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (Central), Tis Hazari Court Gajendra Singh Nagar, Khosla submitted that he wished to withdraw his affidavit given for the preparation of a Victim Impact Report as mandated by the Delhi High Court in Karan Singh v. State, as it violates Article 21 of the Constitution since personal details like information about a convict’s children and family members are shared. Khosla also submitted that he would be challenging this judgment of the Delhi High Court. .Counsel for Sujata Kohli, however, submitted that the withdrawal of the affidavit will amount to gross contempt of court.“It is beyond a simple case wherein an officer of the Court/leader of Bar in presence of a number of persons assaulted a lady Bar member. Thus, this conduct of the convict is a aggravating factor,” the Court was informed by Kohlis’ counsel. The counsel added that she does not require any compensation from Khosla either..Even as the Court tried to adjourn the matter for further hearing on December 6 because of the absence of the Victim Impact Report, Khosla vehemently opposed it. However, the judge said that this was mandated by the Karan Singh judgment.Khosla further alleged that he had information that the report has been received by the court from Delhi Legal Services Authority (DLSA), but was deliberately adjourning the matter.The Court, however, has now given a shorter date in the matter and listed the case for further hearing on Tuesday. The Court added that if it does not receive the report by then, it will again adjourn the matter.“The order on sentence will be passed only after receiving of Victim Impact Report,” the Judge said..Khosla was convicted by a Delhi court for criminal intimidation and voluntarily causing hurt to Kohli while she was a lawyer at Tis Hazari court. It was alleged that he grabbed her by her hair and dragged her as well. Kohli had subsequently become a judge in the Delhi judiciary and retired as a District and Sessions Judge last year..Delhi court convicts former Bar President Rajiv Khosla for assault of woman lawyer in 1994.[Read Order]