HAZARIBAG: The office of SDO (Hazaribag Sadar) has issued notices under IPC Section 107 apprehending breach of peace to 500 individuals, including a person who died two years ago.
Such notices are typically issued before elections and festivals like Ramnavami, Holi, Eid, and Durga Puja when an executive magistrate receives information that any person is likely to commit a breach of the peace or disturb public tranquillity or to do any wrongful act that may probably affect peace.
The notices were issued on April 4 without proper verification of whether the recipients were alive or dead. One such notice was issued to Lilu Sahu of Kadma under Katkamdag police station, who passed away more than two years ago.
The notice, shown to journalists by Lilu Sahu’s family, required him to appear in person at the SDO’s office for verification by April 6 under the IPC. Locals criticised this action, alleging that the SDO office sends notices to innocent people without proper verification and against whom no charges were previously made.
Among the hundreds of individuals who received notices, Neeraj Kumar, a biology teacher at Government High School in Simaria, Chatra district, who served as a presiding officer in the last election, was also served a notice. Upon receiving the notice, Neeraj Kumar lodged a strong protest in writing to the SDO Hazaribag Sadar, claiming that the notice was issued to malign him.
In response to the protest letter, the office of SDO Hazaribag Sadar, Shailesh Kumar, expressed regret and withdrew the notice against the teacher.
However, the SDO did not respond to phone calls for a comment on the notice to the dead man.
Such notices are typically issued before elections and festivals like Ramnavami, Holi, Eid, and Durga Puja when an executive magistrate receives information that any person is likely to commit a breach of the peace or disturb public tranquillity or to do any wrongful act that may probably affect peace.
The notices were issued on April 4 without proper verification of whether the recipients were alive or dead. One such notice was issued to Lilu Sahu of Kadma under Katkamdag police station, who passed away more than two years ago.
The notice, shown to journalists by Lilu Sahu’s family, required him to appear in person at the SDO’s office for verification by April 6 under the IPC. Locals criticised this action, alleging that the SDO office sends notices to innocent people without proper verification and against whom no charges were previously made.
Among the hundreds of individuals who received notices, Neeraj Kumar, a biology teacher at Government High School in Simaria, Chatra district, who served as a presiding officer in the last election, was also served a notice. Upon receiving the notice, Neeraj Kumar lodged a strong protest in writing to the SDO Hazaribag Sadar, claiming that the notice was issued to malign him.
In response to the protest letter, the office of SDO Hazaribag Sadar, Shailesh Kumar, expressed regret and withdrew the notice against the teacher.
However, the SDO did not respond to phone calls for a comment on the notice to the dead man.
