Jharkhand High Court Holds Sunday Hearing on Bokaro Steel Plant Blockade, Defers Matter to October 28
The Jharkhand High Court held an urgent hearing on a Sunday, October 18, 2026, during the Puja holidays, to take up a petition about the blockade of the Bokaro Steel Plant of the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL).
A letter sent on behalf of Bokaro Steel Limited to the Registrar General of the High Court said that a complete blockade had been created at all the gates of the plant by the local Congress MLA of Bokaro, Shwettaa Singh, along with agitators of the Visthapit Apprentice Sang (VAS). The blockade severely obstructed the entry and exit of employees, maintenance staff, raw materials and essential supplies, putting the smooth and continuous operation of the plant at risk. The petitioner said that although SAIL/BSL had made a representation to the District Administration, Chas, Bokaro, it had remained unattended.
The Single Bench of Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad took note of the assurance given by the Deputy Commissioner, Bokaro, that he was fully capable of bringing the situation under control. The court recorded, "The Deputy Commissioner, Bokaro has once again stated before this Court that there is no necessity to call upon any higher authority, as he is fully capable of bringing the situation under control."
The Bench added that, based on the undertaking given by the Deputy Commissioner in the court proceedings, it was not calling upon the Secretary, Home for the present, and was deferring the matter for the day. The Deputy Commissioner had assured that the apprehension of disruption would not be permitted to emerge and that all effective measures would be adopted to prevent any obstruction in the ingress and egress of employees and executives at the start and end of their duty shifts. He further assured the court that appropriate measures would be taken to remove any fear from the minds of employees in the discharge of their official duties, enabling them to enter the unit and return home without apprehension. Asked whether he faced any difficulty on account of the persons involved in the protest, the Deputy Commissioner said there was no necessity to call upon any higher authority as he was fully capable of bringing the situation under control.
The court ordered, "The matter is being posted on 28.10.2026 as a first case." Advocate Indrajit Sinha represented the petitioner, while Additional Advocate General Jai Prakash represented the respondent. The case is Steel Authority of India Limited v. The State of Jharkhand (W.P.(Cr.) No. 639 of 2026).
Source: Verdictum