In a scathing rebuke of police conduct, Jharkhand High Court issued a stern warning to the state director general of police (DGP) over the alleged assault of a petitioner’s relative in a missing case.
An HC advocate close to the matter said the warning was issued while hearing a habeas corpus petition concerning an 18-year-old girl from Bokaro, missing for last seven months.
The court expressed severe displeasure upon learning that Sampat Mahto, a relative of petitioner Rekha Devi (girl’s mother), was allegedly summoned to Pindrajora police station and brutally assaulted. “The court asked why criminal contempt should not be initiated against Bokaro SP Harvinder Singh for this action,” the advocate said.
Another advocate aware of the matter said the petitioner’s advocate, Vincent Rohit Marandi, provided the information.
“Advocate Marandi informed the court that Mahto sustained serious injuries during the police interrogation and was currently hospitalised. He also submitted medical documents confirming the injuries as evidence,” the advocate said.
The court also sought a progress report on the search for the missing girl, who has remained untraceable for nearly 210 days. In response, the DGP stated multiple raids had been conducted and one suspect was currently undergoing a narco-analysis test.
Contacted, government advocate Piyush Chitresh confirmed the virtual appearance of the DGP in the court without sharing details of the proceedings. “The DGP has been directed to file a comprehensive explanation regarding the custodial assault allegations by April 9,” he said.
The 18-year-old went missing from the jurisdiction of Pindrajora police station in Bokaro on July 10, 2025. A missing case was registered on July 27, 2025. In December 2025, the family received a call suggesting the woman was in Pune. A police team travelled there with the girl’s father, but they arrived after she had already left with a male companion.
A suspect who claimed to have information about her whereabouts escaped from police custody while being escorted by train to Pune, which derailed a primary lead in the case, police said.