NHRC Takes Suo Motu Cognizance of Deoghar Custodial Death After Law Student’s Plea; Issues Notice to Jharkhand Chief Secretary, DGP [Read Case Details]

New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo moto cognizance of the custodial death of Mr. Meraj Ansari in Deoghar, Jharkhand, following a letter petition submitted by Saket Sourav, a law student at the National Law University and Judicial Academy, Assam.

The letter petition further states that Mr. Ansari, a 35-year-old resident of Deoghar district, was taken into custody by the cyber police on 21.05.2025 in connection with a cybercrime case and died later that evening under suspicious circumstances while still in police custody. The petitioner raised serious concerns over alleged custodial torture, citing multiple media reports and calling attention to what he described as a growing pattern of custodial violence in the district, highlighting another similar incident that occurred just a month earlier.

Emphasizing that “the police cannot become the judge, jury, and executioner,” the petition underscores that no one should be subjected to torture or violence while in custody, regardless of the charges against them. It cited violations of Articles 21, 22, and 14 of the Indian Constitution and referenced several landmark judgments of the Supreme Court to advocate for immediate intervention by the NHRC.

Upon receiving the complaint, the NHRC placed the matter before the Commission on 27.05.2025. Referring to a news report published in The Times of India dated 22.05.2025, the Commission noted: “As per the news report, the deceased, identified as Meraj Ansari, aged 35 years, was taken from his residence to the Palajori police station... The same evening, he was taken to Deoghar Sadar Hospital following deterioration of his health during interrogation in police custody. Meraj Ansari was reportedly declared dead by the attending doctor.”

The Commission remarked that if the contents of the report are true, they raise grave issues of human rights violations. It further observed that no intimation of the custodial death had been provided by the local authorities, thereby violating the NHRC's standing guidelines that such incidents must be reported within 24 hours.

Accordingly, the NHRC passed the following direction: “The Commission takes suo-motu cognizance of the news report and directs issuance of Notices to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police, Jharkhand, calling for a detailed report in the matter within 6 weeks including the inquest report, post-mortem examination report, along with cause of death as well as the magisterial enquiry report.”

In addition, taking a serious view of the failure to report the custodial death within the stipulated 24-hour period, the Commission has sought an explanation from the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police, Jharkhand, for the lapse by the district police authorities in complying with the NHRC’s mandatory reporting guidelines.

[Read Case Details]