HC seeks medical report of inmate who was ‘sexually assaulted’ in Ranchi’s Birsa Munda Central Jail

Ranchi: The Jharkhand high court on Monday directed Jharkhand govt to furnish the report of the medical board which examined the female inmate of Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi who was allegedly sexually assaulted by the jail superintendent.A division bench of Chief Justice M S Sonak and Justice Rajesh Shankar issued the directive while hearing a PIL initiated by the HC on reports of the alleged assault, which led to her pregnancy.The bench also directed Ranchi judicial commissioner to submit the report of the enquiry, which was carried out by a judicial magistrate on directions of the HC.The govt filed an affidavit on behalf of the DGP and IG prison, which was found to be unsatisfactory by the HC. “It seems that the police officials are trying to dilute the matter,” the court observed, and asked why the medical report of the inmate has not been produced yet. The case will again be heard on June 17.The PIL was registered suo motu by the HC on May 22 when the court was on summer vacation. Leader of opposition Babulal Marandi wrote to CJ Sonak mentioning details of news reports published in the matter.The govt had earlier informed the HC that a three-member committee of high-ranking police officials has been constituted to conduct an enquiry on the allegations made against the jail official. Simultaneously, by orders of the HC, a team of the district legal services authority led by judicial magistrate Shruti Soren has also been entrusted to conduct an independent enquiry.