RANCHI: The Jharkhand High Court on Friday took suo motu cognisance of an alleged sexual assault of a woman inmate inside jail premises and converted the matter into a Public Interest Litigation (PIL).
A division bench of Justice Rangon Mukhopadhyaya and Justice Pradip Kumar Srivastava sought a report from the Director General of Police (DGP) and the state government within two weeks. The matter will next be heard on June 8.
“The suo motu cognisance was taken on the basis of newspaper reports regarding the alleged sexual exploitation of a female inmate at Birsa Munda Central Jail,” Jharkhand High Court advocate Dheeraj Kumar said. He added that the court has sought affidavits with all details from the DGP and the state government.
During the hearing, the state government informed the court that the Home Department has constituted a three-member committee to investigate the matter. The panel comprises Director (Administration) Manoj Kumar, Assistant Inspector of Prisons Tushar Ranjan Gupta and Probation Officer Chandramouli Singh from the Directorate of Prisons and Correctional Services.
Meanwhile, a judicial inquiry is being conducted by Judicial Magistrate Shruti Soren of Ranchi based on the findings of an investigation team from the District Legal Services Authority (DALSA), Ranchi.
Earlier, Leader of Opposition in the Jharkhand Assembly Babulal Marandi wrote to Chief Minister Hemant Soren alleging sexual exploitation of a woman inmate at Birsa Munda Central Jail by the jail superintendent, resulting in pregnancy. He also accused senior prison officials of attempting to suppress the matter.
In his letter, Marandi alleged that the incident reflected a “complete collapse” of the state’s prison administration and law-and-order machinery.
Given the gravity of the allegations, Jharkhand State Legal Services Authority (JHALSA) Executive Chairman Justice S N Prasad took cognisance of the matter and directed JHALSA secretary Kumari Ranjana to ensure a fair and expeditious inquiry.
Following the order, a high-level inquiry team headed by the secretary of the Ranchi District Legal Services Authority (DHALSA) visited Birsa Munda Central Jail to conduct an investigation.
The inquiry team also directed the prison administration to ensure proper care for the victim’s safety and health. It instructed officials to provide all necessary security and amenities within the jail premises to ensure that no mental or physical pressure is exerted on her.
According to JHALSA secretary Kumari Ranjana Asthana, prima facie the allegations were found to be true. However, she said the final decision would be taken by the JHALSA executive chairperson after examining the report.
Separately, Ranchi Deputy Commissioner Manjunath Bhajantri also constituted a three-member committee to probe the allegations against the jail superintendent.
The BJP has demanded a judicial probe into the alleged sexual exploitation of the woman inmate at Birsa Munda Central Jail.