Sub-divisional judicial magistrate Subash Chandra Dwivedi leaves the civil court at Dehri-on-Sone, Rohtas, in a rickshaw. Picture by Sanjay Choudhary

Here is a judicial magistrate who has to cover about 3km from his rented house to court on a rickshaw, everyday. At times he has no option but to walk down all the way even as the area under his jurisdiction has been declared Maoist-hit by the state administration.

Sub-divisional judicial magistrate (SDJM) Subash Chandra Dwivedi’s ordeal is in sharp contrast to several bureaucrats and politicians, who have long ago discarded their age-old Ambassadors and switched over to swanky SUVs.

Fifty-plus Dwivedi was posted as the SDJM after the sub-divisional court at Dehri-on-Sone in Rohtas district became operational about four months ago. But he has not yet been provided with any official vehicle. He either has to take a rickshaw or start walking from Lala Colony, about 3km east of the court.

As the judicial magistrate doesn’t use any vehicle for himself, his bodyguard, Ashish Goel, normally receives him near the gate of the court and sees him off soon after the court proceedings are over. An employee of the civil court said, “Saheb doesn’t keep the bodyguard at his residence.”

The judicial magistrate has been credited with turning down bail petitions of several hardened Maoists like Sanju Chero, Upendra Chero, Nandu Vishwakarma, Muni Cheru and Lallu Chero, said to be residents of the Chutia area in the district. Except Dehri, all seven police stations under the Dehri sub-division — Chutia, Rohtas, Nauhatta, Tilauthu, Akaurigola, Amjhor and Darihat — have been declared the worst Naxalite-affected areas.

The place where the Maoists had burnt JCB machines and other equipment on National Highway 2 in 2010 is also not far off from the sub-divisional court. “It is not safe for any judicial officer to travel either on a rickshaw or move on foot as he/she invites wrath of criminals for rejecting their bail petitions,” said a practising lawyer of Dehri court.

Sources said while the SDJM didn’t use vehicle, other judicial officials used their private vehicles to reach the court. The SDJM doesn’t own any vehicle. He, however, refused to comment on the administration’s failure to provide him with a vehicle. “No comments,” Dwivedi told The Telegraph.