Jharkhand High Court Takes Suo Motu Cognisance of Alleged Police Brutality Against Minor, Seeks Government Response

Ranchi – The Jharkhand High Court has taken suo motu cognisance of allegations of police brutality against a minor in Latehar district and has directed the state government to file a detailed response.

The matter involves serious accusations of custodial torture and bribery and was initially brought before the court through a criminal writ petition. A division bench, headed by Justice Rongon Mukhopadhyay, later converted it into a suo motu case, citing the seriousness of the charges. The next hearing is scheduled for June 24.

The case revolves around the death of 15-year-old Durgesh Mahato, a resident of Hami village under the Mahuadanr police station in Latehar. His body was found in a field on April 1 near a fallen electric wire. Although early reports suggested he died by electrocution, his mother, Manu Devi, filed a complaint claiming that her son had been beaten by a group of people, leading to his death.

She also alleged that Savitri Devi, the mother of another minor, had earlier threatened Durgesh, warning him to “change his behavior or face consequences.” Following this, police detained Savitri Devi’s minor son for questioning.

In her petition to the High Court, Savitri Devi claimed her son was unlawfully detained and physically tortured in custody for two days without any concrete evidence. On the third day, when she visited the police station to plead for his release, the officer-in-charge, Badal Das, allegedly demanded a bribe of ?2.5 lakh.

When she refused, her son was reportedly beaten again.

In response to these grave allegations, the High Court has asked the state government to submit a comprehensive report outlining the sequence of events and steps taken so far.

With inputs from IANS