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J’khand HC directs filing PIL in Hotwar jail scandal
Jharkhand High Court acts on allegations of sexual exploitation in Birsa Munda Jail, demanding state response and accountability by June 8.
The Jharkhand High Court took strong judicial notice of the shocking allegations concerning the sexual exploitation of a female inmate at the Birsa Munda Central Jail here in Hotwar. Treating the matter with utmost gravity, a division bench comprising Justice Rongon Mukhopadhyay and Justice Pradeep Kumar Srivastava registered a Public Interest Litigation (PIL).
The suo moto action stems from a series of media reports and a formal complaint sent by LoP to CM Hemant Soren. The allegations say the victim became pregnant following sexual assault by the jail superintendent and senior officials engineered a massive cover-up attempt to secretly abort the foetus.
Condemning the severe breach of institutional trust, the bench observed that “the issue of such magnitude wherein the custodian of the welfare of the inmates has been alleged to have become the predator needs a proper and detailed response from the State as to what steps have been initiated to verify the truthfulness or otherwise of the allegations so made.”
Demanding strict administrative accountability and bypassing localised prison management, the HC placed the responsibility directly on the state’s highest police officer. Highlighting the immediate legal course of action, the court stated, “Accordingly, we direct Mrinal Kanti Roy, learned G.A.-I to file an affidavit sworn by the Director General of Police, for which 02 weeks’ time is granted.”
The state government is expected to present its detailed verification report and internal findings by the next scheduled hearing on June 8.
