Patna HC seeks ATR, status of celebratory firing cases

PATNA: The Patna High Court on Monday directed the state police, prosecution as well as the subordinate courts headed by district judges to set a reasonable time frame for speedy investigation and completion of trials against the persons booked for ‘celebratory firing’ in this state.
The division bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Partha Sarthy, while hearing a PIL filed by one Rajiv Ranjan Singh, also sought action taken report (ATR) from state regarding the steps taken for cancelling of arms licence given to the persons accused of such firing and also the steps taken for deterring this illegal practice prevalent in Bihar.
In its previous hearings, the high court had sought a report from the state government on the status of such cases in the subordinate courts. Initially the state had denied any such crime as celebratory firing, but an affidavit filed by state government in compliance of the high court orders, revealed 40 FIRs lodged across 17 districts against rampant firing during marriage processions causing grievous injuries and even death to persons falling prey. These FIRs were lodged between 2019 and 2021. Patna had the maximum six FIRs lodged for such crime during the period.
The division bench on November 14 had initially directed the district Judges of the 17 districts to immediately convene a meeting with the district magistrate and SSP/SP concerned to set a time frame for completing the pending investigations in celebratory firing cases.
The next date of hearing in the case has been scheduled for February 13 next year.