Hc allows police request for in-camera submission of report

The Jharkhand High Court today allowed police request to submit its report in-camera on the reported abduction of 35 children by Maosist in Gumla district.
The division bench headed by Chief Justice Virendra Bhatt agreed to the submission of Additional Advocate General Ajit Kumar that Additional Director General of Police (Operation), S N Pradhan, sought to submit the report in-camera as it carried some secret matters.
Asking the senior police officer to submit it in the chamber of the chief justice tomorrow, the court said if the report was found to be secret it would not be opened in the court but the matter would be taken into account while deciding the PIL.

Pradhan and some other police officials were present in the court.
The court had on April 23 last year taken suo motu cognisance on a newspaper report that 35 children were abducted by Naxalites in Gumla district and converted it to a PIL. It also appointed Advocate Sumeet Gadodia as amicus curiae.
Terming the report as alarming and shocking, the court directed serving of notices to various departments of the Centre and the state.