The Jharkhand High Court expressed serious concern over what it described as “systemic non-compliance” in mandatory judicial inquiries into custodial deaths in the state and ordered fresh judicial probes in 262 cases where inquiries had been conducted by Executive Magistrates instead of Judicial Magistrates.
The Jharkhand High Court has issued a set of directions to curb illegal stone mining and unauthorised crusher operations in Hazaribag district, observing that environmental degradation caused by such activities affected the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution.
The Jharkhand High Court on Monday took suo motu cognisance of the death of a 12-year-old girl in Hazaribag’s Vishnugarh area, with police probing allegations of sexual assault and murder, even as the incident triggered a fresh political confrontation in the state.
Justice Sanjay Kumar Dwivedi passed the order while hearing a criminal writ petition filed by ED Assistant Director Pratik and Assistant Enforcement Officer Shubham Bharti seeking quashing of the FIR or transfer of the investigation to an independent agency.
Justice Rajesh Kumar allowed the plea of an elderly couple from the Ramgarh district and set aside an order passed by the Ramgarh Deputy Commissioner on February 23, 2024.
The Court was hearing an application highlighting delay in uploading a judgment of the Jharkhand High Court, which had been pronounced in December 2025 but was still not available to the litigants and their counsel.
Hearing a criminal writ petition filed by the ED, a Bench of Justice Sanjay Kumar Dwivedi ordered that no coercive steps shall be taken against ED officials in connection with the FIR lodged by Santosh Kumar, an accused in the alleged drinking water supply scam.
Earlier, Chief Secretary Avinash Kumar read out the warrant of appointment of Justice Sonak as Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court. The Governor’s Additional Chief Secretary, Dr Nitin Kulkarni, formally invited Justice Sonak to take the oath.
After completing the judicial formalities, he left for his residence. Advocate General Rajiv Ranjan and several lawyers were present in the courtroom during the proceedings.
Soren told the gathering that recruitment examinations had gained pace under his government. He claimed that the Jharkhand Public Service Commission had conducted as many civil service examinations in the last five years as it had in the previous 18.
