The Jharkhand High Court has pulled up the state government for its inaction in the aftermath of the police encounter killing of Aman Sahu, a notorious criminal. The court was hearing a matter that it had earlier registered as a criminal writ, taking suo motu cognisance of documents and newspaper reports submitted by Sahu’s mother.
A division bench headed by Chief Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan heard the matter on Wednesday. During the hearing, the bench expressed strong displeasure over the state’s failure to act on a formal plea filed by Sahu’s mother, who had earlier sought to register an FIR against senior police officials, including the Director General of Police and the Superintendent of Police. Despite submitting the request through the state’s online grievance portal, the petitioner alleged that no action was taken and her complaint remained unacknowledged.
Taking serious note of this, Chief Justice Chauhan orally remarked during proceedings, “No one is above the law, not even the Director General of Police.”
The bench has sought a detailed explanation from the state on the delay and has indicated that it will continue to monitor the matter closely. The case raises significant questions around due process in alleged encounter deaths and the state’s duty to ensure accountability, regardless of the victim’s criminal record.