Slow probe into Ranchi violence: Jharkhand HC asks govt why shouldn’t be case handed over to CBI

The Jharkhand High Court today sought reply from the home secretary and the DGP again in the matter of violence that erupted during a procession taken out in Ranchi on June 10 to protest against Nupur Sharma’s comment on Prophet Mohammed.

The Court expressing its dissatisfaction over a reply submitted before the court through an affidavit orally asked the government why the investigation of this case should not be handed over to the CBI.

The court was of the opinion that why not an apex investigating agency of the country be pressed into service of investigation when both the special investigating team (SIT) constituted by the state government as well as the crime investigation department (CID) of the Jharkhand police so far failed to make a breakthrough in the matter.

Though the government counsel informed the high court that the case has been handed over to the CID in the wake of Human Rights Commission’s directive to hand over all those cases to the CID or expert investigating agency in case of injuries or death in police action during any incident, the court did not get convinced and asked the government how many such cases have been sent to the CID since 2010. The court directed the DGP to give this information through a supplementary affidavit.

During the hearing, the high court expressed its displeasure over the action taken after the June 10 violence. The court asked about the circumstances under which the then SSP of Ranchi S K Jha, who was present there at the time of the incident, was transferred and kept in waiting for posting, as well as the officer in-charge of the Daily Market, who was involved in the said incident, was transferred.

The high court expressing its displeasure also directed them to submit the file related to the transfer of the then Ranchi SSP. Along with this, it has also directed to furnish the details related to the treatment of the Daily Market station in-charge.

Reprimanding the state government, the High Court said that under what authority did the DGP hand over only one case registered at the Daily Market police station to the CID when  as many as 31 cases were registered in connection with June 10 violence.

Pankaj Yadav has filed the PIL demanding proper probe in the matter after he observed the violence was result of a high-level conspiracy hatched outside the state. The Police had to resort to firing to quell the agitators and the firing claimed two lives and left several injured.