High Court Comes Down Hard on Latehar Police's Functioning: 'If There Is No Improvement, We Will Hand Over All Cases to the CBI'
Ranchi: The Jharkhand High Court has expressed severe displeasure over the Latehar Police picking up a young man from his home and the failure to find any trace of him even after three months have elapsed. While hearing a *Habeas Corpus* petition, a division bench comprising Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad and Justice Sanjay Prasad reprimanded the police and warned that if the police's attitude does not improve, the court will consider handing over the investigation of all Habeas Corpus cases in the state to the CBI.
What is the Full Case?
According to the petition filed by the father of the missing youth, Dilip Kumar, the Latehar Police took his son away from their home around 2:00 AM on the night of **January 15, 2026**. The family members allege the following:
* When they reached the police station the following day, they were turned away.
* Despite lodging a complaint with the Superintendent of Police (SP), no concrete action was taken.
* The police later fraudulently obtained signatures on a blank sheet of paper to fabricate a **bogus FIR**, which falsely claimed that Dilip had been abducted by some unidentified individuals.
* It is further alleged that the police forged the signature of Dilip's younger brother to file a report in the CJM Court, thereby attempting to cover up the matter.
The Court's Stern Observations
During the hearing, when the police claimed that Dilip Kumar had links to a Naxalite organization, the court dismissed their response, terming it unsatisfactory. The division bench made the following key observations:
1. Displeasure over Police Inaction: The court stated that the attitude of the police is extremely lethargic.
2. Reference to a Past Case: The court recalled a 2020 case from Bokaro, wherein a missing young woman was murdered due to police negligence—a crime that was only uncovered after the court intervened strictly.
3. New Affidavit: The Court has directed the police to file a detailed and fresh affidavit in this matter.
"The conduct of the police is unacceptable. If there is no immediate improvement in their functioning, the Court—in the interest of justice—will be compelled to entrust the investigation of *Habeas Corpus* cases to the CBI."
Jharkhand High Court
By the next hearing of this case, the police must now submit a substantive response as well as a progress report regarding the recovery of the youth.
