Fresh twist to Bihar police-judiciary stand-off

A video that went viral shows the police are not at fault in the issue involving assault on a judge

The stand-off between the judiciary and police in the Gopalgunj district of Bihar over the alleged manhandling of a magistrate got a new twist on Saturday when a video showed that the police were not at fault.

The alleged manhandling took place on Thursday when the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) of Gopalgunj district, Prabhunath Prasad, was on his way to attend court but found the road leading to the district court and the collectorate blocked by the police because of the ongoing District Board Elections. At the Maunia Chowk, when the police stopped the ACJM’s vehicle, a scuffle broke out between them.

Later, the ACJM lodged a complaint before the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court, accusing the police sub-inspector Arvind Kumar Yadav, in-charge of Jadabpur police station, and some other policemen of manhandling and assaulting him.

In his support, lawyers and civil court employees abstained from work and protested against the alleged police high-handedness. The Bihar Judicial Services Association threatened to take the issue to the All-India Judges’ Association.

The Gopalgunj District and Session Judge Sunil Dutta Mishra too apprised the Patna High Court of the incident and on Friday, taking suo motu cognisance, a division bench of the high court issued summons to the state home secretary and Director General of Police to appear before the court on July 4 to explain the incident.

Police official Arvind Kumar Yadav too lodged an FIR with the town police station, accusing the judicial officer of hurling abuses and instigating other lawyers to abuse and assault him at Maunia Chowk. But the Gopalgunj civil court anticipatory bail to the magistrate.

Policeman slapped

But on Saturday, a video showing the magistrate and some advocates chasing a policeman and slapping him at Maunia Chowk went viral on social media.

It showed the angry ACJM shouting at the policeman and slapping him. The policeman was seen running away from the spot. The video is said to be part of a report prepared by the police.

“Now, the whole incident has taken a U-turn and the video has put the judicial magistrate in the dock,” said a senior official who refused to elaborate, saying the matter was sub judice.