Orissa High Court Frowns Upon Police Inaction Against 'Kangaroo Court'; Directs IG To Ensure Action

While criticizing the police inaction, the Single Bench of Justice Sanjeeb Kumar Panigrahi observed –

“It appears that except lodging an FIR against the culprits, the Police have not taken any serious step to settle the issue. It seems that the Police has been quite complacent on this issue and has not taken any further steps that they should have taken.”

The Court hearing a writ petition filed by the mother of a victim girl whose nude photograph was made viral by some miscreants of her village. After learning about the same, the petitioner approached the police and lodged an FIR against the culprits.

Subsequent to the registration of FIR, the villagers ganged up and convened a 'Kangaroo Court' where the petitioner and the victim were slammed for initiating a police case against the accused persons for making her private photos viral. Further, the extra-legal body fined the petitioner Rs. 50,000/-.

Moreover, to punish the petitioner as well as her daughter, the villagers banished them and socially ostracized them. The counsel for the petitioner, while describing the unfortunate situation, submitted that such conduct on the part of the villagers is not at all acceptable under the rule of law.

On the last date of hearing, the Court had ordered the Superintendent of Police, Nayagarh to personally visit the village to assess the situation and to submit a report by the next date of hearing.

However, despite such order, the Court lamented that except lodging an FIR, no other effective step has been taken by the police to settle the issue. Therefore, noting police inaction, the Court ordered the Inspector General of Police, Central Division, Odisha to visit the village.

“In such view of the matter, the I.G of Police, Central Division, Odisha is directed to have a personal visit to the village and enquire as to what sort of action has been taken against the culprits and ensure that the Petitioners are living peacefully in the village without any disturbance.”

The Court also ordered the IG of Police to file a detailed report in that respect by the next date of hearing which is fixed to February 08, 2024.

Case Title: Rajani Sahoo & Anr. v. State of Odisha & Ors.

Case No: WP(C) No. 38895 of 2023

Date of Order: January 10, 2023

Counsel for the Petitioner: Mr. Sidharth Prasad Das, Advocate

Counsel for the Respondent: Mr. Ch. Satyajit Misra, Addl. Govt. Advocate