Jharkhand HC orders fresh probe into death of tribal man in 2021 police firing

Justice Sanjay Kumar Dwivedi of the Jharkhand High Court came down heavily on the state police for giving a ‘clean chit’ to the erring police officers even when ‘at least a case under IPC 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) was made out’. The HC then said that the deficiency in investigation had to be dealt with an ‘iron hand within the framework of law’.

On June 12, 2021, one Brahmdev Singh, 24, was killed by police in Piri village under Garu block of Latehar. The police had initially claimed the death was as a result of “cross-firing” and lodged an FIR against six people, including the deceased, under various IPC sections, including attempt to murder.

However, after the family’s intervention, another FIR was registered against the police for murder. Both the FIRs were later investigated by Jharkhand’s Crime Investigation Department (CID), which filed a closure report while acknowledging that a mistake resulted in the death of Brahmdev.

The high court is hearing a petition by Brahmdev Singh’s wife Jiramani Devi. In a detailed order passed Monday, but was released Thursday (August 17), the HC said: “…It has been admitted that Late Bramhadev Singh died by police bullet, however, the case has been closed stating therein the mistake of fact (case against erring police officials) and so far as (the case against Singh and others) concerned, the final form has been submitted in that case also stating therein that the lack of evidence.”