Allahabad High Court Stays Arrest of Suspended Banda Jail Superintendent in Noida Scrap Mafia Ravi Kana Illegal Release Case
By Rajesh Pandey
The Allahabad High Court has granted interim relief to suspended Banda Jail Superintendent Anil Kumar Gautam by staying his arrest in connection with an FIR alleging the незакон release of Noida-based scrap trader Ravindra Singh, alias Ravi Kana, from Banda District Jail despite the existence of a valid custody warrant.
A Division Bench comprising Justice Rajeev Mishra and Justice Satya Veer Singh passed the order while hearing writ petitions filed by the suspended officials seeking quashing of the FIR as well as protection from arrest.
The Court, while extending interim protection, allowed the investigation to continue but restrained the Investigating Officer from submitting a final police report before the competent magistrate until further orders.
The case arises from an FIR registered on February 2, 2026, by Jail Chowki In-charge Anurag Pandey at Kotwali Nagar Police Station in Banda district under Section 260(C) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The allegations relate to the purported незакон release of Ravindra Singh alias Ravi Kana, a person described as a scrap mafia figure from Noida, from judicial custody on January 29, 2026, without obtaining a valid court order.
According to the prosecution’s version, Ravi Kana had been lodged in Banda Jail since August 2024 in connection with another criminal matter.
On the date in question, he was produced before a court through video conferencing on the basis of a B-warrant.
However, it is alleged that he was released prematurely, even though a custody warrant in another matter was expected and had not yet been duly executed.
The controversy has raised questions regarding adherence to prescribed legal procedures governing the release of prisoners when multiple cases and warrants are involved.
After considering the submissions advanced by counsel representing the petitioners, the High Court observed that the matter required further examination and that the petitioners were entitled to interim protection at this stage.
In its order dated April 1, the Bench directed:
“Considering the facts and circumstances of the case and also the submissions urged by learned counsel for the petitioners, it is provided as an interim measure that until further orders of this Court, the petitioners shall not be arrested in Case Crime No. 64 of 2026, under Section 260(C) BNS, Police Station Kotwali Nagar, District Banda.”
At the same time, the Court clarified that the investigation shall continue in accordance with the law.
However, the Investigating Officer has been restrained from filing any police report under Section 193(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) before the jurisdictional magistrate during the pendency of the writ petition.
The Court has issued notices to all respondents, including the State Government, granting six weeks to file their counter-affidavits.
The matter has been listed for further hearing on May 27, when the Court is expected to consider the responses and determine the next course of action.
The interim order effectively provides temporary protection to the suspended jail officials while ensuring that the investigative process continues, reflecting the Court’s attempt to balance procedural fairness with the need for a thorough examination of the allegations.
