‘Why No Accountability?’ Jharkhand HC Raps Govt Over Dance Party Inside Ranchi Jail

Ranchi: The Jharkhand High Court on Tuesday expressed strong displeasure with the state government and prison authorities over their handling of a viral video showing accused inmates dancing inside Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi.

The court rejected the government’s response as inadequate, observing that action limited to suspending junior employees does not address the gravity of the incident. It questioned why no responsibility had been fixed on senior officials despite the serious security breach.

Hearing the matter suo motu, a division bench headed by the Chief Justice sought an explanation for the absence of action against the Jail Superintendent and the Inspector General of Prisons. The bench pointed out that the availability of mobile phones and internet connectivity inside a high-security jail represents a major risk to prison security and the justice delivery system.

The High Court noted that such incidents reflect deep-rooted systemic lapses and cannot be brushed aside without fixing accountability at higher levels.

The court directed the government to file a detailed supplementary affidavit within two weeks, clarifying whether mobile jammers were operational at the time, identifying those seen in CCTV footage, and stating whether any jail officials or outsiders involved in the incident have been traced.

It also asked the jail administration to submit a clear and effective action plan to ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future.

Earlier, the court had described the incident as “shameful” and had passed strict directions to ensure that mobile phones, chargers, and narcotics do not reach prisoners. It had further instructed JHALSA and the police to carry out surprise inspections in jails across Jharkhand.

The state government has informed the court that the jailer and one other employee were suspended after the video went viral.

With inputs from IANS