Hazaribagh Principal District & Sessions Judge Nageshwar Prasad, interrogated by Ranchi police on Friday in connection with the racket run by Ranjit Singh Kohli, alias Raquibul Hassan, has raised further hackles in the legal fraternity.
For he happens to be one of the members of the advisory board, constituted by the State Home Department, mandated to affirm the detention of notorious criminals under Jharkhand Crime Control Act.
Incidentally, the committee, headed by Justice HC Mishra, is scheduled to hold its meeting on September 20 in which as many as 26 cases from various districts are to be taken up.
The provisions of Jharkhand crime control act 2002 are slapped by the deputy commissioner to detain notorious criminals on a report of the SP to maintain peace and order and remove the feeling of insecurity among public. The advisory board, constituted by the home department, later approves the DC's order for detaining a criminal within a period of six weeks.
Prasad, ironically, was among the 16 judicial officers who had been short-listed by the high court to be given compulsory retirement last year for committing various irregularities. However, only 10 judicial officers faced the axe and the rest six, including Prasad, were kept under observation.
"How come a judge having links with a criminal with international nexus could be a member of the body, which is supposed to take a call on controlling crimes," wondered lawyer Rajiv Kumar.
"All the judges, who have under cloud for having links with Kohli, alias Raquibul Hassan, should be removed immediately, at least from judicial work," he added.
A source said that the high court had withdrawn a former Hazaribagh district judge from judicial work merely on a complaint of having taken bribe for transferring court staff.
Jharkhand State Bar Council, ironically, has maintained silence on the issue. "What should we commentIJ It is for the high court to look into in the issue," maintained Council chairman Rajiv Ranjan.