Woman Detained Beyond Release Date Despite Court Order, Jharkhand High Court Asks 'Under What Law?'

The woman, who was initially sentenced to two years in prison for an alleged child kidnapping case in 2018, was expected to be released in 2020. However, her release was delayed due to a lack of documentation, and she was subsequently transferred to the Foreigners' Holding Centre in Hazaribag. There, she remains to this day.

Details of a woman's escape from a centre have emerged, shedding light on the circumstances that led to her decision. Her case, filed by Apurva Vivek, reveals a history of severe mental distress. The woman, arrested on February 2, 2018, was convicted under Section 363 of the Indian Penal Code in 2018.

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Her sentence, which began concurrently with the time already spent in custody, is ongoing. Vivek's petition highlights the woman's plight, sparking concerns about her well-being.

Following her release from prison in February 2020. The woman was instead transferred to the Foreigners' Holding Centre at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Central Jail campus in Hazaribag. The centre's lack of documentation and verification processes has raised questions about the law under which she is being detained.

The woman's decision to escape from the centre in June 2025 was reportedly motivated by her claims of being subjected to repeated sexual assault by a police constable. She was apprehended along with two other detainees at Dhanbad railway station the following day.

A fresh case was registered at Lohsinghna police station in connection with the escape. However, the woman's continued detention has raised concerns about the authority of law that justifies her detention.

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A division bench of Justices Sujit Narayan Prasad and Akhil Kumar has inquired about the authority of law that justifies her continued detention. This comes after her release from prison in February 2020.

A high court investigation has been launched following a habeas corpus petition filed by Apurva Vivek on behalf of a woman who alleges she suffered severe mental distress during her detention. This prompted a call for clarity on the events surrounding her arrest.