Patna High Court Fines Bihar Government ₹5 Lakh for Illegal Jailing of Minor

Brief By Newsbrief / 2:31 PM on 13 Jan 2026

The Patna High Court has imposed a fine of ₹5 lakh on the Bihar government after finding that a minor was illegally sent to jail instead of being placed in a juvenile home, in violation of juvenile justice laws. The court termed the incident a serious lapse in the criminal justice system and directed a time-bound inquiry to identify officials responsible for the violation.

A division bench observed that the child, whose name did not even appear in the police charge sheet, was arrested, produced before a magistrate and remanded to judicial custody, where he spent nearly two and a half months. The court noted that the magistrate also failed in his duty to protect the minor’s legal rights.

In addition to the fine, the court ordered the state to pay litigation costs and allowed it to recover the compensation amount from officials found guilty after the inquiry. Authorities have been directed to complete the investigation within six months and submit compliance reports, aiming to prevent similar violations in the future.