Bihar court orders judicial custody of cop over failure to produce accused

The court fixed August 24 as the next date for hearing and allowed Sah to go after he and state counsel’s pleaded that there was no negligence knowingly.

A sessions court in Bihar’s Sasaram on Wednesday ordered one-day judicial custody of a police officer after his boss failed to appear before it to explain their failure in producing the accused for the hearing of a murder trial pending for 42 years.

The murder trial has been pending for 42 years. (HT PHOTO)

Judge Manoj Kumar issued a show-cause notice to Rohtas police superintendent Ashish Bharti calling the failure a serious negligence and ordered him to appear in person in the court on Wednesday.

Deputy police superintendent Saroj Kumar Sah instead appeared in the court and prompted the court to order his judicial custody.

The court fixed August 24 as the next date for hearing and allowed Sah to go after he and state counsel’s pleaded that there was no negligence knowingly and Bharti will appear in the court.

Police on Thursday arrested Ram Niwas Singh, one of the accused, and produced him in the court. They informed the court that another accused, Laxmi Narayan Master, in the murder of Ramanuj Singh died six years back.

Six people were booked in September 1979 after Ramanuj Singh was shot dead. Except Ram Niwas Singh, the other accused have died.

The Patna high court, which was monitoring the case, on April 7 asked the sessions court to conclude the trial within three months.