Police raids on Bihar jails

The Patna high court on Wednesday ordered a thorough search of various jails in the state, including the offices of prison officials.
 
Also see: Crime situation in Bihar beyond control: HC

The court has asked raiding parties to seize prohibited articles like mobile phones from prison inmates.

On Tuesday, annoyed by the rising crime graph in the state, the high court had said the crime situation in Bihar appeared to have gone "beyond control." 

A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Nagendra Rai and Justice S N Hussain directed the state's chief secretary, director general of police, home secretary and inspector general of prisons to start the searches immediately
in

Beur Jail under the supervision of district and sessions judge, Patna.

The judges instructed that the raids be conducted by the Bihar Military Police without any involvement of the jail security staff.

The court was hearing a PIL filed by the Indian Medical Association (Bihar) alleging that criminals were targeting doctors for extortion.

The judges took strong exception to reports of West Champaran police superintendent lodging an FIR against a journalist for reporting the news of a doctor of Narkatiaganj receiving extortion threats from Manoj Mishra, an inmate of Bettiah jail.

The SP has been asked to appear before the court on Monday.