Ranchi, June 18 The Jharkhand High Court on Thursday questioned the director general of police of the state on why CCTV cameras have not been installed in all police stations across the state.
The court of Chief Justice M S Sonak and Justice Rajesh Shankar was hearing a public interest litigation.
The court said the chief secretary and the Home secretary, who were earlier directed to ensure the installation of cameras in police stations, should take the orders of the court seriously.
Any failure or non-compliance with the order can lead to contempt proceedings against such officers, the bench observed.
The court ordered the DGP to file an affidavit and inform the court about the status of the installation of cameras in police stations in the state.
The case will again be heard on June 27.
The court also observed that a physical verification of the actual installation of cameras will be conducted by the Jharkhand Legal Services Authority through the District Legal Services Authority in all the districts of the state.
The court had suo motu initiated a public interest litigation on a letter sent to the chief justice by Bhanumati Mahto, the wife of Tarun Mahato, a candidate in the 2024 assembly elections from the Ichagarh constituency in Seraikela.
Mahto, a member of the Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha, was allegedly picked up by the Ichagarh Police on November 19 last year. He was kept in custody in the police station and was allegedly brutally tortured.
Bhanumati then shot a letter addressed to the chief justice, informing him of her husband's alleged illegal detention and torture in the Ichagarh police station, leading to the institution of the PIL.
The court also questioned the Health Department's principal secretary with regard to action taken on the medical officer who had examined Tarun Mahto when he was produced in the court by the police.
The medical officer had reportedly given a certificate of "fit for custody", despite Mahto allegedly suffering severe injuries after being subjected to torture in the police station.
