Patna: Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who reportedly spent time meeting supporters until 1:30 in the morning and had a simple lunch of dal and rice, may have had another issue demanding his government’s attention. The Patna High Court has taken serious note of a long-standing practice in Bihar police stations — mentioning the caste of the accused in official documents like FIRs, case diaries, and charge sheets.
The court, while hearing a petition filed by advocate Saroj Kumar, questioned why such a discriminatory habit still exists. The petition highlighted that despite modern reforms and legal awareness, police officers in many areas of the state continue to record the caste of the accused. This, the petitioner argued, goes against the basic principles of equality guaranteed by the Constitution and promotes unfair social distinctions.
A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Sudhir Singh and Justice Rajesh Kumar Verma heard the case. During the proceedings, the state’s Advocate General P.K. Shahi admitted that mentioning caste in these documents was “inappropriate”. He informed the court that the state government was already discussing the matter with senior police officials to ensure the practice is stopped completely.
The judges, however, expressed strong displeasure, calling the practice “unacceptable” and “socially harmful”. They said that recording caste details in criminal cases can create prejudice and bias during investigations and trials. The court directed the Bihar government to submit a detailed response on the issue and fixed the next hearing six weeks later.
