Re-arrest lifers: HC to DGP

PATNA: The Patna High Court on Tuesday directed DGP W H Khan to rearrest within four weeks the lifers who had been released from Bihar prisons in 1994 before completing their full jail term of 14 years.
A division bench comprising Justice Nagendra Rai and Justice R S Garg passed the order in presence of the DGP, who had been summoned by the court to report on the compliance of the similar order passed by the high court in 1999.
The order on Tuesday was passed on a writ petition filed by Uday Chandra Das in 1999 which challenged the state government’s decision and the subsequent release of 136 lifers.
The division bench issued a directive to the IG of prisons to provide the DGP with a list of the lifers who had been released from prisons in undivided Bihar in 1994 before completing their full jail term of 14 years.
The DGP was asked to inform the court on February 11 about the number of such rearrested lifers as also about the further action to be taken to rearrest the rest of them.
Counsel Bipin Behari Singh appeared on behalf of the petitioner.
The judges made it clear to the DGP that contempt of court proceedings would be initiated against the government and concerned officials if the order for rearrest of such lifers is not complied with.
The bench also directed the DGP to ask the officers in charge of all police stations in Patna to remove encroachments from roads in areas under their respective jurisdiction, adding that those officers in charge who fail to do so would be liable to face action under contempt of court.
Contempt plea against CM: A division bench comprising Chief Justice R S Dhavan and Justice Shashank Kumar Singh on Tuesday adjourned for 10 days the hearing of the contempt of court petition filed against chief minister Rabri Devi, challenging the propriety of the CM making a direct phone call to the Chief Justice regarding the order passed earlier by Justice R S Garg putting chief secretary K A H Subramanian under judicial custody.