The lockdown to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus has led to a delay in justice in the Binay Mahto murder case.
It has been four years since Binay Kumar Mahto, a student of Class VIII at Sapphire International School in Hardag, was found murdered on the residential campus, but justice still eludes the bereaved parents.
On Monday, Binay’s father Manbahal told The Telegraph that had there been no lockdown, Jharkhand High Court would have surely passed an order in the case.
“On March 16 last year, I had filed a petition before Jharkhand High Court for a proper probe into my son’s murder after two of the four accused were acquitted and the rest were granted bail. But so far no order has come. The last hearing in the case took place on June 12 last year, which was coincidentally Binay’s birthday. My lawyer is asking me to wait till the end of lockdown, which is being extended time and again,” Manbahal said.
Manbahal’s lawyer Jitendra Singh admitted the delay and attributed it to technical difficulties.
“Cases in the high court are being heard online. This case is very important and the argument is expected to be lengthy. There is every possibility of network and technical glitches and judges may have difficulty understanding the arguments. Therefore, I do not want to take risk,” advocate Singh said.
