Bokaro Steel Plant protest death: Court quashes case against senior officials based on CCTV, drone footage
The Jharkhand High Court was hearing the plea filed by two senior officials of Bokaro Steel Plant seeking quashing of the FIR and proceedings arising out of the 2025 protest.
The court noted that the petitioners are senior officials of Bokaro Steel Plant and the stir was carried out in front of the plant’s administrative building, which was a restricted area. (AI-generated image) Bokaro Steel Plant news: The Jharkhand High Court recently quashed criminal proceedings against senior Bokaro Steel Plant officials accused in a protester’s death during a 2025 demonstration, noting that CCTV footage, drone footage and investigation records indicated that the agitators had turned aggressive, resorted to vandalism and attacked security personnel.
Justice Rongon Mukhopadhyay observed that the dispute traces its roots to land acquisition carried out decades ago for the establishment of the Bokaro Steel Plant, with displaced families’ demands for employment continuing to trigger protests and demonstrations over the years.
“There is nothing on record to suggest that it was at the instance of the petitioners such an untoward incident had taken place. In fact, from the case diary as well as the CCTV and drone footage it appears that it was the agitators who had become aggressive and resorted to vandalism. The petitioners cannot be prosecuted simply on account of them being the officials of BSL (Bokaro Steel Limited), and absence of any material would categorise the allegations against the petitioners as vexatious,” the June 2 order read.
Justice Rongon Mukhopadhyay found that the protest led to the institution of three FIRs.
The high court was hearing petitions filed by Birendra Kumar Tiwari and Rajshree Banerjee, along with other senior officials, seeking quashing of the First Information Report (FIR) registered against them.
‘Agitations routine affair’
- The high court pointed out that the displaced families had sought employment for ages, for which agitations and demonstrations had become a routine affair.
- It was added that even after all these decades, demonstrations and agitations are being resorted to, and the stir on April 3, 2025, became resistant to control, leading to a lathi charge upon the agitators, causing a fatality and injuring several others.
- The court also found that this incident led to the institution of three FIRs, including the subject matter of the instant applications.
- The court also noted that the petitioners are high-ranking officials at Bokaro Steel Plant and that the demonstration was held in front of the main gate of the plant’s administrative building, which is a restricted area.
- It was highlighted that the investigation into the present case has not been completed, but the same would not deter the court from preventing a miscarriage of justice when the allegations themselves are nondescript and devoid of any substance.
Protest turned violent on April 3, 2025
- The prosecution’s case stated that a peaceful dharna was being staged on April 3, 2025, by the members of “Visthapit Apprentice Sangh” in front of the administrative building of the Steel Authority of India Limited of Bokaro Steel Plant.
- It was alleged that an indefinite dharna and demonstration was going on when, all of a sudden, at about 5 pm, based on the order given by Birendra Kumar Tiwari, the then director-in-charge, Rajshree Banerjee, the executive director, along with others, about 100 CISF personnel had made a lathi charge on the demonstration, leading to one Prem Prasad sustaining injuries which ultimately turned fatal.
- It was alleged that the members of the “Visthapit Apprentice Sangh” were brutally assaulted and the accused persons wanted to create a riotous situation.
- It was claimed that an advance notice of the dharna and demonstration was given to the district administration as well as to the administration of Bokaro Steel Plant, but the accused persons in connivance with the CISF personnel had carried out a dastardly attack on the members of the Sangh to prevent them from raising any demands in future.
CISF functions independently
Appearing for the petitioners, advocate Indrajit Sinha argued that Bokaro Steel Limited is a unit of Steel Authority of India Limited and its premises are of national importance, and the security aspect of the premises is looked after by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which is deployed there.
It was added that the CISF is an independent paramilitary force under the control of the Ministry of Home, Government of India, and the officials of Bokaro Steel Limited have no command over them.
It was further added that the officials concerned communicated his order by a letter dated April 2, 2025, to the office-bearers of the Visthapit Apprentice Sangh not to carry out any dharna and demonstration in view of the upcoming Ram Navami festival and taking into consideration the law-and-order situation.
Action snuffed out life of agitator
Representing the state, advocate Deepankar argued that the CISF deployed was in direct control of the public sector undertaking and its management, and consequently the constable of CISF who had assaulted the victim, Prem Mahto, was under the direct control and supervision of the petitioners.
It was contended that if the management was intending to disperse the peaceful demonstrators, it could have resorted to shelling of tear gas or water spray instead of opting for a violent method.
It was added that this action snuffed out the life of an agitator who had been demanding a job allegedly after being displaced at the time of setting up the steel plant.
It was further mentioned that the CISF personnel, on the orders of the petitioners, had transgressed their area of control and had attacked the peaceful protesters with lathis, which resulted in the death of one person and injuries suffered by several others.
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