Jharkhand HC orders security cover for judicial officers across State after 2022 Latehar court attack
SUMAN K SHRIVASTAVA Ranchi, August 17: The Jharkhand High Court has directed that judicial officers serving across all districts of the state…
SUMAN K SHRIVASTAVA
Ranchi, August 17: The Jharkhand High Court has directed that judicial officers serving across all districts of the state should be provided a level of personal security comparable to that currently available to judges in Latehar.
The direction came while disposing of a suo motu public interest litigation initiated after a violent incident at the Latehar Civil Court premises on October 10, 2022, when members of the Tana Bhagat community allegedly entered the court complex, vandalised property, assaulted police personnel and disrupted judicial proceedings.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice M.S. Sonak and Justice Rajesh Shankar pronounced the judgment on August 17 in W.P. (PIL) No. 5044 of 2022.
‘No Need to Wait for Another Latehar-Type Incident’
The High Court said there was no reason to wait for another incident before strengthening the security of judicial officers.
The Bench observed that the safety and security of judicial officers, particularly those working at the district level, are closely linked to the independence of the judiciary.
“An independent judiciary necessarily presupposes an environment in which judicial officers can discharge their constitutional and judicial functions without fear, intimidation, or threats to their personal safety,” the court observed.
The court directed that a comparable level of personal security cover should be ensured for judicial officers across all districts of Jharkhand.
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Latehar Court Security Found Adequate
The High Court said it was presently satisfied with the security arrangements at the Latehar Civil Court complex.
The arrangements include deployment of armed personnel, CCTV cameras at strategic locations, a Quick Response Team in close proximity, secured boundary walls with barbed-wire fencing and facilities for producing high-risk undertrials through video conferencing.
Regular supervision is also being carried out by a designated Deputy Superintendent of Police responsible for court security.
The court also noted that adequate numbers of bodyguards, house guards and home guards had been deployed for judicial officers in Latehar. Each judicial officer was being provided, at a minimum, one bodyguard and one home guard.
2022 Violence Triggered Suo Motu PIL
The High Court initiated the PIL on October 11, 2022, a day after the incident at the Latehar Civil Court.
According to the judgment, a large gathering of members of the Tana Bhagat community forcibly entered the court complex, engaged in sloganeering, vandalised the premises and assaulted police personnel. Judicial proceedings came to a complete halt.
The situation became so serious that the then Principal and District Sessions Judge, Latehar, had to be locked inside a room to protect his life and liberty.
Taking suo motu cognisance, the High Court had raised concerns over the adequacy of security arrangements at court premises across Jharkhand.
It directed the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police to submit intelligence inputs, action-taken reports and assessments of security arrangements at courts and for judicial officers.
40 Accused Charge-Sheeted
The court was informed that a criminal case, Latehar P.S. Case No. 251 of 2022, had been registered following the incident.
In an affidavit filed in August 2025, the Superintendent of Police, Latehar, reported that charge-sheets had been submitted against 40 accused persons who were in custody, while investigation against other accused was continuing.
An updated affidavit filed in December 2025 recorded further arrests and filing of charge-sheets against accused already in custody. Notices under Section 41-A of the Code of Criminal Procedure had also been issued to certain accused, while efforts to identify remaining unknown accused were continuing.
Security Linked to Judicial Independence
The High Court stressed that security arrangements should not be viewed merely as administrative measures.
Referring to the Supreme Court’s judgment in Delhi Judicial Service Association, Tis Hazari Court, Delhi v. State of Gujarat, the Bench noted that the safety and dignity of judicial officers are essential aspects of judicial independence.
The court said it was the state’s duty to create a secure environment and provide adequate protection to judicial officers and members of the legal fraternity so they can discharge their duties without fear, intimidation or interference.
With the immediate concerns that had prompted the PIL substantially addressed, the High Court disposed of the petition.
The Bench, however, expected the investigation and pending proceedings arising from the 2022 incident to be brought to their logical conclusion in accordance with law. It also directed that the security arrangements currently in place at district courts be maintained on an ongoing basis.
