Ranchi, Jan 6 The Jharkhand High Court has expressed strong displeasure over the response filed by the state government and the jail administration in connection with the viral video showing prisoners accused in liquor and GST scams dancing inside Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi.
Terming the government’s affidavit incomplete and unsatisfactory, the court observed that merely suspending lower-rung employees cannot be considered adequate action in such a serious matter.
A division bench headed by the Chief Justice, while hearing the case registered suo motu on Tuesday, questioned why accountability had not been fixed on senior officials, particularly the Jail Superintendent and the Inspector General of Prisons.
The bench noted that the availability of mobile phones and internet facilities inside a high-security jail poses a grave threat not only to the prison system but also to the wider judicial and security apparatus.
It stressed that such lapses indicate systemic failure and demand responsibility at the highest level.
The High Court directed the state government to file a supplementary affidavit within two weeks. The report must clarify whether mobile jammers were operational in the jail at the time of the incident, identify the roles of individuals seen in the CCTV footage, and state whether any external persons or jail employees who facilitated the incident have been identified.
The court also sought details of a concrete and foolproof action plan prepared by the jail administration to ensure that similar incidents do not recur in the future.
In an earlier hearing, the High Court had described the incident as “shameful” and made strong observations on the serious negligence of the jail authorities.
The court had categorically directed that mobile phones, chargers and narcotics must not reach inmates under any circumstances. It had also asked the Jharkhand State Legal Services Authority (JHALSA) and the police administration to conduct surprise inspections of jails across the state.
The state government had earlier informed the court that, following the viral video, the jailer and another employee were placed under suspension.
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