Patna: The Patna high court has acquitted one Ranjit Jha after he spent over 21 years in Muzaffarpur Central Prison in connection with a murder case, highlighting police misconduct and systemic failures.A division bench of justices Rajeev Ranjan Prasad and Kumar Manish, while allowing Jha’s appeal, set aside the Oct 29, 2009 judgment convicting him of murder and the life sentence imposed on Nov 6, 2009 by a fast track court in Samastipur. The verdict was delivered on Sept 10.The judges found police had connived with inimical witnesses to frame Jha in a blind murder case. They also flagged a four-day delay in sending the FIR to the nearest judicial magistrate’s court, unverified seizure lists and absence of independent witnesses.The court summoned the inspector general, prisons, over the delay in referring Jha’s case for premature release. It noted he suffered severe mental illness and depression during his prolonged imprisonment and his appeal remained unfiled for 16.5 years.The court directed the director general of police, Bihar, to initiate an administrative probe and ordered the Bihar govt to provide Jha medical care and a rehabilitation plan.
