‘Parallel administration’: Jharkhand HC pulls up police for allowing social boycott of adivasis

According to the FIR, the incident occurred on March 14, 2025, when some people were celebrating Holi with music. A group of men allegedly arrived armed with lathis and sticks, forced the music to be stopped, threatened villagers and abused a woman using caste-based slurs.

The attackers allegedly warned that the community couldn’t celebrate their festivals and told shopkeepers, doctors, and others not to provide them with food, medical help, or water.

The court noted that the alleged boycott went far beyond the initial incident. Witness statements recorded in the case diary indicated that shopkeepers were allegedly threatened with fines of Rs 10,000 if they sold ration to Paharia families, doctors were warned against providing treatment, children were prevented from attending schools and anganwadi centres, and even access to government water taps was blocked. “A government well was allegedly damaged to stop the community from drawing water, leaving families on the verge of starvation for days,” the court noted.

Even though the accused said they weren’t named in the FIR and that everything was resolved, the court dismissed the joint compromise petition.

The court pointed out that even 10 months after the FIR was lodged, not a single accused had been arrested, and termed it “complete negligence” on the part of the investigating officer and senior police officials of Sahibganj district.

The court observed that some accused and others appeared to be “running a parallel administration” by issuing blanket directions affecting the everyday lives of the Paharia community, “in utter violation of constitutional rights”.

The court directed the Deputy Commissioner (DC) and Superintendent of Police (SP) of Sahibganj to immediately ensure the safety of the adivasis and restore access to basic amenities.

It also ordered the Director General of Police and the Home Department to monitor compliance and ensure the supply of food grains, drinking water and other essentials. Copies of the order were directed to be sent to the Chief Secretary and multiple state departments, including tribal welfare and women and child welfare, for urgent action.