Ranchi, Apr 12 (PTI) The Jharkhand High Court on Friday sought information from the government regarding cases filed against the land mafia in the state capital during a hearing on a public interest litigation.

Acting Chief Justice and Justice Navneet Kumar directed the state to provide details on the actions taken against those who forcefully grab land from innocent people.

Also Read | Online Fraud in Mumbai: Man Promised Winning Team That Could Earn Him Crores on Rupees on Dream11, Duped of Rs 70,000.

The PIL was initiated suo motu after land grabbers breached the boundary wall of former Supreme Court Justice MY Eqbal in the state capital. Miscreants had broken the boundary wall of Late Justice Eqbal on June 25, 2023, officials said.

Additional advocate general Ashutosh Anand said 273 land mafias were identified between 2021 and 2023, with investigations against 214 people completed and charge-sheets submitted.

Also Read | India Issues Travel Advisory for Israel and Iran, Advises Citizens Not To Travel to War-Torn Countries Till 'Further Notice'.

Police have issued notices under the Code of Criminal Procedure against 50 people who are said to be involved in land grabbing, Anand informed the court.

The court instructed the state to provide specific information on the number of identified land mafias out on bail and the status of pending trials against them.

The government counsel mentioned that 27 people are under surveillance, and 28 names are listed in the 'gunda register'.

The bench ordered the government to submit a detailed affidavit containing the latest data on pending cases related to land grabbing, with the next hearing scheduled for April 24.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)