A division bench of Jharkhand High Court comprising Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Rantakar Bhengra today took cognizance over land grab bid of former Supreme Court judge M Y Eqbal at Lower Bazar area of State Capital. The HC has also taken cognizance over others land grab bids in state capital by land mafias.
Taking cognizance of the aforesaid situation, the HC has directed to institute a suo -motto writ petition in which officials have been arrayed as respondents: The Chief Secretary (Government of Jharkhand), Principal Secretary (Department of Home, Jail and Disaster management), Senior Superintendent of Police (Ranchi) and officer in-charge of Lower Bazar (PS) Ranchi.
The Senior Superintendent of Police shall file his personal affidavit and give details for the cases registered in the district of Ranchi making complaints of the aforesaid nature, status of the complaints and FIRs and the action taken pursuant to such complaints. The affidavit must give details as regard action taken to bust such gangs and arrest the persons behind such incidents.
The HC has also authorized an officer who will conduct an enquiry to ascertain whether there is prima facie incident evidence to involvement of the local police and or any other persons, or it was sheer negligence or dereliction of duty on the part of the police that such incidents has happened. He shall submit his report within two weeks.
The HC has appointed RK Mallick (Additional DGP, Communication and Technical Services) Wireless HQ to conduct the enquiry as indicated hereinabove.
It may be noted that on last Sunday (June 25) some land mafias made a bid to capture land and buildings of former Supreme Court judge M Y Eqbal. Lower Bazar police station officer-in-charge Dayanand Kumar said no one has been arrested in this connection so far. The family members of late Justice Eqbal reside in New Delhi.
In May 2021, Former Supreme Court judge, Justice MY Eqbal passed away at Medanta Hospital, Gurgaon. Justice Eqbal started his legal practice in the year 1975 in Ranchi. He was elevated to the bench in May 1996, as a judge of the Patna High Court. Later, with the formation of the new state of Jharkhand in 2000, he became a judge of the Jharkhand High Court.
In 2003, he was nominated by then Chief Justice of India VN Khare as one of the members of Ravi and Beas Water Tribunal to deal with water disputes among Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. In his home state, he held the post of Chairman, Jharkhand Human Rights Commission, Executive Chairman of Jharkhand State Legal Services Authority and Judge-in-charge of the state’s Judicial Academy.
He was appointed Chief Justice of the Madras High Court in June 2010. He was elevated to the Supreme Court on December 24, 2012 and served at the Supreme Court for close to 4 years before retiring from office on February 12, 2016.
