Bihar HC raps police over kidnapping case failure

Patna High Court on Tuesday reprimanded the police for not meeting the deadline set by it to rescue the kidnapped Dayanand Anglo Vedic student Gaurav Kumar alias Golu and gave them time till October 7 to produce the boy before the court.

Making a scathing remark on the state of affairs in the state, a division bench of Justice R N Prasad and Justice S N Hussain observed that the "…police seemed to be sleeping while criminals were ruling the roost in Bihar".

"What kind of governance is there in the state?" It wondered.

The court, however, accepted the plea of the police seeking more time for the safe release of Golu and extended the deadline to produce the boy before it by three more days to October 7.

It also directed the zonal Inspector General of Police A S Nimran and senior superintedent of police, Patna, Kundan Krishnan to submit an action taken report on October 7 on the Golu abduction case.

The court has taken suo moto cognizance of newspaper reports on the alleged failure of the police to rescue Golu, Class IV student of local DAV school, who was kidnapped on September 20 from Gola road in Danapur while he was returning home from school.

Additional Advocate General S K Ghosh representing state government told the court that police had made "progress" in the Golu abduction case and four persons had been arrested in connection with the case.

Reacting to this, the Bench said it was not "satisfied" with the action taken by police, who have failed to rescue the student even after a fortnight.

"We want the boy to be rescued safe," the bench said, observing the failure of the police to meet the today's deadline reflected "total" failure of law and order in the state.

During the hearing of the case on September 30 by Chief Justice J N Bhatt and Justice Shashank Kumar Singh had summoned Director General of Police Ashish Ranjan Singh and fixed October 4 as the deadline for producing Golu before the court.

The Bench, expressing concern over the deteriorating law and order situation in Bihar at a time when the state had to go to polls, had directed the DGP to take steps to help voters fearlessly exercise their right to franchise.

Zonal Inspector General and Patna Senior Superintendent of Police were present in the court on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, students of DAV and other schools organised a protest march to Raj Bhawan on Tuesday. The teachers and students of various schools performed havan and yagna. Office bearers of the Danapur Public School Association observed a fast for the safe return of Golu.