The Jharkhand High Court recently initiated suo motu proceedings following a security breach where a judge was left stranded in traffic during his commute due to a political demonstration
Justice Sanjay Kumar Dwivedi took action after experiencing a half-hour delay in traffic, despite repeated requests by his personal security officer (PSO) for police assistance. The lapse was acknowledged by the Director General of Police, who assured that such incidents would not happen again.
The Court expressed concern over the safety of the judiciary, noting that if one judge is not safe, the entire judiciary is at risk. The murder of Judge Uttam Anand, who was killed while on his morning walk, was cited as a reminder of the ongoing threats. The Court emphasized the duty of the State to protect judicial officers and institutions, warning that failure to do so would undermine the rule of law and erode constitutional values.
The incident occurred on August 23, when a political demonstration near the Chief Minister’s residence caused a traffic jam that blocked the judge’s route home. Despite multiple calls to the control room, no police action was taken. The situation was resolved only after the Registrar General of the High Court and the Superintendent of Police intervened.
The Court ordered the case to be registered as suo motu and directed that the matter be brought before the Acting Chief Justice to ensure the protection of judges in the future.
(With inputs from agency)
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