Jharkhand HC Judge Criticizes Traffic Management, Summons DGP After Stranding Incident

Displeased with the poor traffic management in Ranchi, Jharkhand High Court Justice Sanjay Kumar Dwivedi summoned Director General of Police Anurag Gupta and other senior officers to appear in court.

Justice Dwivedi criticized the administration for its failure to manage traffic in the capital, informing the officers that on August 23, he was stranded for a long time in front of the chief minister’s residence while commuting from his home. This delay occurred during a protest rally held by the youth wing of the BJP on the same day.

The judge expressed concern about the incident, stating, “It seems to be a serious breach in the security of a judge. Security cover is only meant for politicians and leaders.” DGP Gupta, who appeared before the bench, apologized and assured the court that the administration would ensure smooth traffic flow in the state capital.

Justice Dwivedi emphasized that if a high court judge faced such difficulty in reaching his workplace, the plight of ordinary citizens could only be imagined. He further remarked that the system appeared to have completely failed, with the police seemingly unaware of their responsibilities on the road.

On August 23, Jharkhand Police used tear gas shells, water cannons, and fired rubber bullets to disperse Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) workers who broke barricades during a protest rally against the “injustice” of the Hemant Soren government and its “failure to fulfill election promises.” Heavy police deployment was made in front of the chief minister’s residence on Kanke Road, near Morabadi Ground, where the protesters had gathered.

Justice Dwivedi questioned the officers, asking why such heavy police deployment was made on Kanke Road when there was no demonstration there. He ordered that the proceedings of the court be presented before Acting Chief Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad to be addressed in a public interest litigation on traffic management. The PIL on traffic management is already pending before a division bench of the high court.

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