Ranchi: The Jharkhand government has suspended three constables and registered a case against them after a Bangladeshi woman detained at a Hazaribagh facility allegedly accused them of rape.
The allegation was brought before the Jharkhand High Court after the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) included it in a report submitted to the court. The authority later filed its report in a sealed cover, stating that the woman had allegedly been raped by the three police personnel.
The accused have been identified as constables Ranjeet Mahto, Renu Benjamin and Waris Kachhap. The three, who are residents of Hazaribagh, have been suspended, according to an affidavit filed by the state government.
The court sought details of the legal provisions used in the FIR against the constables. Advocate General Rohitashya Roy told the bench that the required changes would be made to the FIR.
The court also instructed the state authorities to ensure that the woman received all essential facilities during her stay at the detention centre.
Court Seeks Deportation Details
During the hearing, the state government said it had repeatedly written to the Ministry of External Affairs since 2023 to facilitate the woman’s deportation to Bangladesh. However, it said, no response had been received from the ministry.
The court subsequently directed the counsel representing the Central government to submit a reply on the issue.
The bench questioned the authorities on why the woman had not been deported after being declared a foreign national in 2021. It also asked why another case under the Foreigners Act was filed against her in 2025 even though she had already been convicted under the law in 2021.
The court further sought to know why the state had not appealed against her acquittal in the 2026 case registered under the Foreigners Act.
The Home Secretary, who attended the proceedings, said the government had approached the Bangladesh authorities at the relevant time but had received no reply. The Advocate General then requested additional time to obtain instructions from the state government.
Cases Registered Against Woman
The government had earlier told the court that two cases were filed against the woman in 2018. One case concerned child abduction, while the other was registered under the Foreigners Act. She was sentenced to two years in the child abduction case.
In 2021, she was handed a three-year sentence under the Foreigners Act and was subsequently sent to the Hazaribagh detention centre. She escaped from the facility in late 2025, after which another case was registered against her under the same law. She was acquitted in that case in 2026.
The case was heard by a division bench headed by Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad. The court fixed October 15 for the next hearing and asked the petitioner to file a rejoinder to the state government’s response.
