Acting Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court Prashant Kumar breathed his last on Friday morning while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Ranchi. Sixty-one year-old Kumar was keeping unwell since a long time. Hospital authorities said that he suffered a kidney failure and was surviving on dialysis.
He was admitted at Bhagwan Mahavir Medica Superspecialty Hospital on August 28 after complaining of fluctuations in blood pressure, sources said. They added that Kumar was gradually recovering and the hospital authorities were planning to perform his dialysis on Friday. However, he suffered a cardiac arrest on Friday early morning. According to records with the hospital, he breathed his last at 5.16 am.
Owing to Kumar’s demise, all activities in High Court and subordinate courts across Jharkhand were withheld on Friday. His body was brought to the court premises in the afternoon, from where it was taken to the cremation ground.
Kumar was appointed as the Acting Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court on June 7, 2019. Born on July 1, 1958 in Chapra, Bihar, he started his career as an advocate in erstwhile Bihar in 1980. He was appointed an additional district judge in May 1991. In 2001, he was promoted as the district Judge. In January 2009, he was elevated as an additional judge of the Jharkhand High Court. In 2016, Justice Kumar was transferred to the Allahabad High Court. In May this year, he was transferred back to the Jharkhand High Court.
Politicians, bureaucrats and social activists poured in their condolences on Kumar’s demise on Friday. Chief Minister Raghubar Das took to Twitter to offer his condolences. “I offer my condolences on the demise of the Acting Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court, Prashant Kumar ji. May God provide strength to his (Kumar’s) family at this tough time,” Das tweeted.
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) Supremo Shibu Soren and his son, the Leader of Opposition Hemant Soren also extended solidarity to Kumar’s family on Friday. Kumar is survived by his widow and two daughters.
Later in the evening senior-most judge of Jharkhand High Court Justice Harish Chandra Mishra was entrusted the responsibility of Acting Chief Justice of the High Court. Justice Mishra will discharge the duties of ACJ, Jharkhand till further notice.
