Human chain event: Patna HC asks CS, DGP to appear on Friday

Patna, Jan 19 (IANS) Expressing concern over the "forcible participation" of school children in a proposed "human chain" in support of the state government's prohibition policy, the Patna High Court on Thursday directed the Bihar Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police (DGP) to appear before it on Friday.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Hemant Gupta and Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh gave the order after it was not satisfied with the state government's reply filed by its Principal Additional Advocate General Lalit Kishore.

The court will now hear the case on Friday, a day before the proposed event on January 21.

Hearing a petition filed by non-governmental organisation "Forum for Public Interest Litigation", the High Court on Wednesday sought the Bihar government's response on the matter.

The Bihar government plans to form "the world's longest human chain of over 11,000 km" on January 21 to support prohibition in the state.

The court had also asked under which law the state government decided to order a halt on traffic on national and state highways for the programme.

The Nitish Kumar government had asked all schools to facilitate their students to join the proposed human chain and ordered for closure of traffic between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on January 21.

Three satellites, including one foreign and two of Indian Space Research Organisation, four aircraft, two helicopters and 40 drones will be used to click photos of the human chain, officials said.

Nearly 20 million people will join hands across the state from 12.15 p.m. to 1 p.m., the officials added.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar imposed liquor ban in the state from April 5, 2016.

More than 16,000 persons have since been arrested on charges of consuming or transporting liquor in Bihar.