The Jharkhand High Court reprimanded a judicial magistrate from Hazaribagh for remanding a 66-year-old man to custody, disregarding Supreme Court rulings that protect an accused from arrest once cognisance has been taken.

The bench, led by Justice Ananda Sen, pointed out the magistrate’s failure to adhere to binding precedents, particularly in the Satender Kumar Antil v. CBI judgment, which laid down clear procedures that once cognisance is taken, accused persons in complaint cases should be summoned, not arrested, without justification.

Despite previous judicial sensitisation efforts, the court condemned this oversight and directed the magistrate to undergo a two-day online training conducted by the Jharkhand Judicial Academy to reinforce safeguards for personal liberty.