The Jharkhand High Court on Friday directed the state’s director general of police, Anurag Gupta, to formulate a standard operating procedure (SOP) to enhance security measures for students in educational institutions across the state.

The directive came during a hearing of criminal appeals related to the murder of a scheduled caste student at the Birla Institute of Technology (BIT), Mesra, in November last year. The student, a polytechnic enrollee, died following a violent clash between two student groups on campus.

Justice Sanjay Prasad, presiding over the case, summoned DGP Gupta, BIT vice-chancellor Indranil Manna, and another university official to explain the circumstances surrounding the student’s death. The court expressed serious concern over the security lapse, particularly given the victim’s scheduled caste background.

Noting a procedural violation in the investigation, the court pointed out that the probe was conducted by a sub-inspector rather than an officer of deputy superintendent of police rank, as required under the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

The High Court has now asked the BIT administration to present detailed findings of the internal investigation on June 24, the next date of hearing.

The incident has prompted the judiciary to take a closer look at campus security and compliance with legal protocols in sensitive cases involving marginalized communities.

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