Supreme Court expresses displeasure over Jharkhand HC orders summoning officials in bail case

The Supreme Court has expressed displeasure over the Jharkhand High Court orders summoning senior state officials while allowing an anticipatory bail plea of a man, saying the HC went outside the scop

The Supreme Court has expressed displeasure over the Jharkhand High Court orders summoning senior state officials while allowing an anticipatory bail plea of a man, saying the HC went outside the scope of the case and can at best register a public interest litigation if it finds that the factual scenario supports such an action. A Bench of justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Krishna Murari, in its order passed on June 29, said that there is no requirement of appearance of the officers and since the proceedings arising before the high court judge from the anticipatory bail application having been closed, nothing survives in those proceedings. The Bench was hearing an appeal filed by the Jharkhand government against the high court’s two orders dated April 9 and April 13 in which it had summoned senior State government officials including the Chief Secretary, Home Secretary and the Health Secretary, asking them why contempt action should not be initiated against them.