The Patna High Court has directed the Senior Superintendent of Police in Patna to carry out an inquiry within three months into significant security oversights that permitted two minors to transport more than 60 kilograms of cannabis across state lines from Assam to Bihar in an unregistered vehicle.
A single-judge bench presided over by Justice Arun Kumar Jha highlighted the issue on September 15 while granting a revision petition filed by one of the minors, who had previously been denied bail by the Juvenile Justice Board. The court observed that official assurances regarding foolproof public safety arrangements appeared unfounded after the vehicle completed the journey from Assam to the outskirts of Patna without being stopped. The bench further pointed out that such lapses could have enabled the unchecked transit of explosives, posing a direct threat to public safety.
Interception and Seizure on Patna Outskirts
The case originates from an operation conducted last year at Didarganj, on the outskirts of Patna, where officials from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence intercepted a car occupied exclusively by two minors from Patna district.
During an inspection of the vehicle, which lacked a registration certificate, investigators uncovered 109 packets containing more than 60 kilograms of cannabis concealed inside a hidden cavity. Neither of the occupants could produce a driving licence. The two were subsequently booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and classified as children in conflict with the law by the Juvenile Justice Board.
Dispute over Juvenile Status and Bail Relief
The Juvenile Justice Board subsequently released one of the minors on bail but rejected the application of the second, leading him to file a revision plea before the High Court.
While granting bail to the petitioner, the High Court questioned his claim of having never attended school, which was presented to explain the lack of formal academic records for age verification, describing the assertion as improbable in current times.
In addition to probing the transit lapses, the court instructed the Patna Senior Superintendent of Police to formally verify whether both individuals are genuinely minors. The order grants state authorities permission to move the Juvenile Justice Board to seek cancellation of bail and a review of the minors’ status as children in conflict with the law should the investigation reveal any concealment of age or use of fraudulent records.
