Jharkhand High Court Mandates Judicial Inquiries for Custodial Deaths, Rape Cases

The Jharkhand High Court has made judicial inquiries mandatory in all cases of death or rape occurring in police custody or jails. The bench, led by Chief Justice M.S. Sonak and Justice Rajesh Shankar, ruled that such incidents must now undergo formal judicial investigation. Previously, these cases were investigated by executive magistrates.

The court directed the Jharkhand Legal Services Authority (JHALSA) to prepare a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) following the guidelines of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in New Delhi. This SOP will ensure proper implementation of investigations into custodial deaths and rape cases. The bench also ordered district judges to report on 250 pending cases where judicial inquiries had not been conducted.

Additionally, the court issued several directives to the state government regarding handling of such incidents in police and jail custody. The order was reserved after hearing arguments from both the petitioner and the state government. This decision marks a significant step toward accountability and transparency in custodial cases across Jharkhand.