Patna,(BiharTimes): In a rare move Justice Rakesh Kumar of the Patna High Court on Friday asked the state government whether any leader who had given the Bihar bandh (shutdown) call on July 27 has been booked or not.
Justice Kumar, who has taken up the issue suo motu as he had to face hurdles on his way to the court on that day, asked Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh to submit as to how many persons, arrested in this connection, were released on police bail and how many were forwarded to the magistrate?
The government has been asked to specify as to whether action has been taken against any of the leaders who had given bandh call or any FIR has been lodged or not.
If no action was taken, the Chief Secretary is required to give an explanation.
It also directed the High Court administration to file an affidavit on whether it had taken any step on the eve of the bandh for smooth movement of High Court judges to the court and if taken whether all of them were provided with adequate escort for coming to the court smoothly or not. 
The order was passed in the presence of Principal Additional Advocate General, Lalit Kishore.
The July 27 bandh call was given by RJD to put pressure on the Centre to release socio-economic caste census. 
The court action, somewhat unprecedeneted in recent memory, has landed the state government in a fix as the ruling party too was lending moral support to the bandh call by its alliance partner. Not only that the national president of Janata Dal (United), Sharad Yadav, sat on fast with its RJD counterpart, Lalu Prasad, a day before the shutdown, that is, July 26.
In the recent years the court has never come down so heavily on the state government on the issue of bandh, though such calls have been given by all political parties, individuals like Pappu Yadav, and other outfits, including extremists. 
Even when a large part of central Bihar was completely paralyzed on June 1 and 2, 2012 after the killing of Ranvir Sena chief Brahmeshwar Singh alias Mukhiyaji the court was not tough on government.
On the bandh day Justice Kumar had to change his route thrice on way from his residence to the Patna High Court and reached 25 minutes late that day. 
Not only he, but even the district judge of Madhepura was detained in Muzaffarpur district while he was on way to the place of his posting.