Jharkhand High Court summons DGP, SSP for rise in crime in Ranchi

Ranchi: The Jharkhand High Court on Monday summoned Director General of Police Anurag Gupta and Ranchi SSP Chandan Kumar Sinha to appear in person to explain what action the police are planning to curb the rising crime graph in the state capital.

The order of the division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad and Justice Arun Kumar Rai came after the recent murders of an advocate in the Ranchi district court and a special branch police officer Anupam Kachhap.

DGP Gupta along with Ranchi SSP Sinha and Kotwali DSP Prakash Soy appeared before the bench and informed that the Ranchi police had formed a special investigating team after the murder of advocate Gopi Krishan.

The police immediately swung into action and collected intelligence reports leading to the arrest of two accused persons – Roshan Munda and Sandeep - following an exchange of fire, the court was informed.

Investigation with regards to the motive behind the murder of the lawyer is underway and more facts will be revealed soon, Gupta told the court.

The bench further directed the DGP to ensure that adequate security is provided to the bereaved kin of advocate Gopi Krishan.

Krishan was stabbed to death by an unknown miscreant on August 2 while he was outside his residence in the morning in Madhukam under the Sukhdevnagar police station in the capital.

In a separate matter, the High Court also ordered DGP to formulate a standard operating procedure for the police to deal with the rising use of drugs and narcotics substances in the state.

The bench said that satellite mapping should be done of places in Khunti and other districts which have become hot spots for opium cultivation.

Opium is illegally cultivated in the jungles and is sold inside and outside the state. Such practice needs to be curbed immediately, the court said.

The court was hearing a PIL initiated suo motu on the rise in consumption of drugs in the capital. The case will again be heard on August 19.