Court Warns Officials of Personal Appearance if Order Is Not Implemented; Next Hearing on January 8, 2027
Ranchi, October 31: The Jharkhand High Court has granted the state government an additional eight weeks to comply with its earlier order in the contempt case concerning the premature release of Fahim Khan, a resident of Wasseypur, Dhanbad. However, the court has warned that if the order is not implemented within the stipulated period, the concerned officials will have to appear personally before the court. The next hearing has been scheduled for January 8, 2027.
During the hearing, Additional Advocate General Ashutosh Anand and advocate Shahbaz Akhtar, representing the state government, informed the court that a Special Leave Petition (SLP) had been filed before the Supreme Court challenging the High Court's earlier order. On this ground, the government sought an additional eight weeks to comply with the directions. The court accepted the request. In the previous hearing, the High Court had expressed displeasure over repeated requests for more time and imposed a fine of Rs 1,000, directing the government to deposit the amount with the Jharkhand State Legal Services Authority (JHALSA).
Fahim Khan was sentenced to life imprisonment in a murder case in 2009. He has reportedly completed more than 18 years of actual imprisonment and over 20 years, including remission. His application for premature release was rejected by the state government under the 2007 release policy. Challenging the decision, he approached the High Court. The court directed the state government to reconsider his application within six weeks under the 1984 release policy. Following the alleged failure to comply with the order, Fahim Khan filed a contempt petition, which is currently under consideration by the High Court.
