Chandrajit MukherjeeRanchi: Jharkhand High Court on Thursday questioned the director general of police as to why CCTV cameras have not been installed in all police stations across the state.The court of Chief Justice M S Sonak and Justice Rajesh Shankar was hearing a public interest litigation. The court said that the chief secretary and home secretary of the state, who were earlier directed to ensure installation of cameras in police stations, should take the orders of the court seriously. Any failure in compliance with the order can lead to contempt proceedings against such officers, the bench observed.The court ordered the DGP to file an affidavit and inform the status of installation of cameras in police stations in the state. The case will again be heard on June 27. The court also observed that a physical verification of the actual installation of cameras will be conducted by the Jharkhand Legal Services Authority through the District Legal Services Authority in all the districts of the state.The court initiated a public interest litigation suo motu on a letter sent to the Chief Justice by Bhanumati Mahto, the wife of Tarun Mahato, a candidate in the 2024 Assembly elections from the Ichagarh constituency in Seraikela.Mahto, a member of the Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha, was picked up by the Ichagarh police on Nov 19, 2025. He was kept in custody in the police station and was brutally tortured. Bhanumati then shot off a letter addressed to the Chief Justice, informing him of her husband’s illegal detention and torture in Ichagarh Police Station, leading to the institution of the PIL on the basis of her letter.The court also questioned the health department principal secretary with regard to action taken on the medical officer who examined Tarun Mahto when he was produced in court by the police. Apparently, the medical officer had given a certificate of “fit for custody”, despite the fact that Mahto was given the third degree in the police station and suffered severe injuries.