The Supreme Court while hearing an anticipatory bail plea by a person against whom a dozen cases related to various land disputes had been filed by the police came down heavily on the UP police for routinely harassing people involved in civil disputes by converting them into criminal cases.
The court warned the police that if the practice did not stop, it would pass orders that the UP Director General of Police would remember for the rest of his life.
The court remarked that the accused was probably afraid that the police would slap another case against him if he appeared. He must not be appearing because he knows that you will register another false case and arrest him there.
Every time you come with a new FIR against him, how many cases can prosecution uphold & it’s very easy to allege land-grabbing & is it a civil dispute or criminal dispute?” the court said
Tell your DGP that if this practice does not stop immediately, we will pass such drastic orders, he will remember for his whole life,” the bench added.
Court ordered that let him join the investigation but don’t arrest him. And if you bonafide think that in a particular case, arrest is required, then come and tell us that these are the reasons. But if the police officers are doing, you take it from us, we will not only suspend them, they will lose something more.
The police was also instructed to send summons to the accused on his mobile phone, specifying the date, time and place where he should appear before the investigating officer.
