The Jharkhand High Court directed a state-wide inspection of all district jails to assess the quality of food being served to inmates, emphasising that compliance with the Jail Manual is non-negotiable. The Division Bench of Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad and Justice Arun Kumar Rai passed the order, after personally examining records related to the canteen committee at Birsa Munda Central Jail, Ranchi.
Pursuant to an earlier direction, the Jail Superintendent and Jailor of Birsa Munda Central Jail, appeared before the Court. The Jailor submitted that food is now being supplied strictly as per the Jail Manual. The State also filed an affidavit stating that food quality across jails has been improved.
The Court permitted reopening of the jail canteen, run by a committee comprising a majority of inmates, but warned that the Jailor will be held personally responsible for any irregularity, with departmental proceedings to follow in case of violations. Inspections will be conducted by JHALSA/DLSA, as earlier directed.
Significantly, the Bench directed the Chairman and Secretary of the DLSA, Ranchi, to conduct a surprise inspection on a non-working day to verify food quality. Similar inspections must be carried out by Chairpersons and Secretaries of all DLSAs across the State, with reports due within two weeks. The Court stressed that such inspections must be conducted frequently.
The Jailor further informed the Bench that he had only recently taken charge on 11 November 2025, and that his predecessor, Mr. Dewnath Ram, had been suspended pending departmental proceedings. The Court directed the State to update it on the status of the proceedings initiated against him, including the inquiry into alleged conspiracy.
The matter will next be heard on 11 December 2025, with updates directed to be placed on record.
Appearances:
For the Appellant: Mr. Ayush Deb, Advocate
For the State : Mr. Pankaj Kumar, P.P.; Ms. Sharda Kumari, A.C. to P.P.
For the NIA : Mr. Amit Kumar Das, Advocate; Mr. Manmohit Bhalla, Advocate; Mr. Sourav Kumar, Advocate