WPC/2172/2026 of COURT ON ITS OWN MOTION Vs THE STATE OF JHARKHAND THROUGH THE CHIEF SECRETARY on 29 June 2026

1. The State of Jharkhand through the Chief Secretary,

2. The Principal Secretary, Department of Home, Government of Jharkhand,

3. The Director General of Police, Government of Jharkhand

… … … Respondents

--------- CORAM: HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE SUJIT NARAYAN PRASAD

HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE SANJAY PRASAD

---------- Amicus Curiae

: Mr. Hemant Kr. Shikarwar, Advocate For the State

: Mr. Ashutosh Anand, AAG-III

---------- Order No.06 /Dated 29th June, 2026

1. Reference may be made to the order dated 30th March, 2026.

2. This Court, in exercise of its extraordinary jurisdiction, had taken suo motu cognizance of the heinous occurrence reported in the daily newspaper Hindustan, dated 29th March, 2026. The said publication disclosed the commission of a grave offence involving the rape of a minor female child aged about twelve years, followed by her brutal and merciless murder. The enormity of the crime, coupled with its publication in the widely circulated newspaper, impels this Court to intervene in discharge of its constitutional duty to safeguard the rights of minor children.

3. This Court, upon perusal of the aforesaid newspaper publication, had directed the State of Jharkhand to place on record an affidavit, setting forth the factual matrix and the steps taken in relation to the said incident.

4. Thereafter, this Court passed directions upon the Director General of Police, State of Jharkhand, to forthwith examine the matter and explain as to why, even after the lapse of five days, the samples constituting prime evidence of the occurrence had not been transmitted to the Forensic Science Laboratory. Simultaneously, the Jharkhand State Legal Services Authority, Ranchi, was

2026:JHHC:18963-DB

directed to monitor the issue, and the case was ordered to be placed before Hon’ble the Chief Justice.

5. Consequently, the matter was again placed before this Court pursuant to the administrative order of Hon’ble the Chief Justice dated 6th April, 2026, whereby the case was assigned to this Bench for consideration.

6. The matter was thereafter taken up for consideration by this Court on 5th May, 2026, and again on 8th May, 2026.

7. The matter was thereafter heard on 11th May, 2026, on which date the Forensic Science Laboratory report was received in a sealed cover, and the case diary was also duly submitted before this Court. Accordingly, this Court has carefully perused the FSL report as well as the case diary and observed that since the police is carrying out the investigation, as such, let the investigation go on.

8. This Court, considering the fact that the F.S.L report has already been received, which is available on the record and as such, now the investigating agency is to carry out the further investigation as the per law.

9. The instant W. P. (PIL) No. 2172 of 2026 stands disposed of.

10. The Office is directed to hand over the Forensic Science Laboratory report, presently kept in sealed cover, to the learned State Counsel for its onward transmission to the Investigating Officer, while retaining a scanned copy thereof on the record of this Court.

(Sujit Narayan Prasad, J.)

(Sanjay Prasad, J.) Date : 29.06.2026 Kamlesh/ Nishant/-