Jharkhand's Controversial 'Fake Surrender' Case Sparks Judicial Scrutiny

The Jharkhand High Court criticized the state government for submitting an affidavit by a junior police officer in a PIL concerning the alleged 'fake surrender' of tribal youths labeled as extremists. The court mandated a senior official's affidavit, highlighting implications of a policy from former Union home minister P Chidambaram.

The Jharkhand High Court expressed strong disapproval towards the state government after it submitted an affidavit from a junior police officer in a public interest litigation concerning the supposed 'fake surrender' of tribal youths mistakenly called extremists.

A division bench, led by Chief Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan, insisted that such serious matters should involve affidavits from higher-ranking officials. The court has now instructed the Director General of Police to personally submit a detailed affidavit related to the issue.

The case alleges that tribals were falsely branded as Naxals as per a policy led by former Union home minister P Chidambaram, with a group of 300 Maoists having surrendered in 2014 in Ranchi. However, investigations revealed that several individuals were wrongly implicated, underscoring potential policy misuse.

(With inputs from agencies.)