Ranchi Lawyers Strike Over Alleged Harassment of Female Colleague; Demand Ouster of SC-ST Station In-Charge

RANCHI—Legal proceedings at the Ranchi Civil Court came to a standstill on Thursday as members of the District Bar Association (RDBA) abstained from work to protest the alleged “indecent conduct” of the SC-ST Police Station In-Charge, Mahesh Munda, toward female advocates.

Emergency Boycott and Protest

The strike was triggered by allegations from female lawyer Savita Kujur and her colleagues, who claimed that In-Charge Mahesh Munda manhandled, misbehaved with, and obstructed them while they were performing their professional duties.

In response, RDBA President SP Agarwal and General Secretary Sanjay Kumar Vidrohi convened an emergency meeting at 1:30 PM. Following the session, a large group of lawyers marched to the SC-ST Police Station and staged a one-hour sit-in protest, raising slogans against the police administration.

Demands for Accountability

The Association has formally submitted memorandums to the Governor, Chief Minister, DGP, and the Ranchi SSP, demanding:
The immediate suspension of Mahesh Munda.
The initiation of strict departmental action.

A request to the principal judge to ensure no adverse orders are passed against litigants due to the one-day work boycott.

President SP Agarwal clarified that while work would resume on Saturday, the Bar would intensify its agitation if the administration failed to take decisive action against the officer.

The Officer’s Defence: “Foiled False FIR”

Responding to the uproar, Mahesh Munda categorically denied the allegations of misbehavior. He claimed the accusations were a retaliatory tactic used after he flagged a legal irregularity.

“A lady advocate attempted to register a false FIR against a 70-year-old man, Pramod Sahu. When I detected the fabrication during the preliminary inquiry and refused to proceed, these allegations were leveled against me,” Munda stated, adding that he has already briefed senior police officials on the matter.