Patna HC summons Bihar Home Secretary, DGP in judge manhandling case

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A day after a subordinate court presiding officer was abused and manhandled by police, the Patha High Court on Friday ordered the Home Secretary and Director-General of Police (DGP) to appear before it to explain the incident, a government lawyer said.

The court also demanded a divisional commissioner report's copy on a compact disc in this connection.

The high court later fixed July 4 for the next hearing in the case.

Officials said Prabhunath Prasad, a sub-judge-cum-ACJM 1 of Gopalganj district in Bihar, was allegedly abused and manhandled by Jadavpur station house officer Arvind Kumar Yadav and four other police officials at Maunia Chowk in Gopalganj on Thursday when he was on way to the court from his residence in Hajipur.

The court, adjacent to the collectorate, as well as the road to it was barricaded due to district board elections.

Policemen deputed there stopped Prasad and detained him for about half an hour despite the fact that a passage had been provided for through the barricade for judicial officers to pass through.

The policemen also allegedly used foul language and took away his scooty's keys.

When the judicial officer tried to call up the Sub-Divisional Police Officer and inform him about the incident, one of the policeman slapped him.

Prasad later filed a complaint in a Chief Judicial Magistrate's court under various sections of the Indian Penal Code.

--IANS

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