Jharkhand HC takes cognisance of police 'brutality' against minor, seeks govt response

Ranchi, May 26 The Jharkhand High Court has taken suo motu cognisance of serious allegations involving the brutal beating of a minor in police custody in Latehar district of the state.

The case, which includes charges of custodial torture and bribery, has prompted the court to seek a response from the state government.

A division bench headed by Justice Rongon Mukhopadhyay took up the matter after it was initially filed as a criminal writ petition.

The court subsequently converted it into a suo motu case, seeing the gravity of the allegations. The next hearing has been scheduled for June 24.

The case is linked to the suspicious death of 15-year-old Durgesh Mahato, a resident of Hami village in the Mahuadanr police station area of Latehar.

His body was discovered in a field on April 1 near a fallen electric wire. While locals initially claimed he died due to electrocution, his mother, Manu Devi, filed a complaint alleging that her son had been assaulted by three to four individuals, which led to his death.

She further claimed that Savitri Devi, the mother of another minor, had previously threatened Durgesh, warning him to “reform” or face consequences. Following these allegations, the police detained Savitri Devi’s minor son for questioning.

In a writ petition submitted to the High Court, Savitri Devi alleged that her son was held illegally and subjected to two days of physical abuse in custody based merely on suspicion.

On the third day, when she approached the police station to request his release, the officer-in-charge, Badal Das, allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 2.5 lakh.

When she refused to pay the bribe, her son was allegedly assaulted again.

The state government has been asked to submit a detailed reply regarding the sequence of events and the actions taken so far.

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