Allahabad High Court Takes Stern Action Against Farrukhabad SP for Intimidation of Petitioner and Lawyer
PRAYAGRAJ: The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday took a strict view of the conduct of Farrukhabad Superintendent of Police (SP) Aarti Singh, ordering her to remain in court custody until a lawyer, who had been unlawfully detained, was released.
This action was taken after it emerged during the hearing of a habeas corpus petition that SP Singh had attempted to intimidate the petitioner and unlawfully detain her counsel.
The bench comprising Justice J.J. Munir and Justice Sanjeev Kumar expressed displeasure over the incident and directed the SP to remain present in court.
The Uttar Pradesh government was asked to present its stance in court, following which the hearing commenced around 3:45 PM.
The court later granted SP Singh time until Wednesday to submit a personal affidavit and directed her and her entire team to be personally present for the proceedings.
Background of the Petition
The order relates to a habeas corpus petition filed by Preeti Yadav, a resident of Farrukhabad.
Yadav alleged that on the night of September 8, Thana in-charge Anurag Mishra, along with the Circle Officer and four to five police personnel, forcibly entered her residence and took two members of her household into custody.
The detained individuals were held for nearly a week, during which Yadav was coerced into providing a written statement promising not to file any complaint against the police.
She was also made to declare that no petition had been filed by her.
During the hearing, the court was presented with this written statement by the petitioner, which it treated with utmost seriousness.
Consequently, the court summoned both the petitioner, Preeti Yada, and relevant police officers for October 14 to submit their affidavits.
Incident Involving Lawyer
Senior advocate Amarendra Nath Singh informed the court that the police suspected that lawyer Avdhesh Mishra of Farrukhabad had filed the habeas corpus petition.
Angered by this, police personnel allegedly raided Mishra’s residence on October 11 and caused property damage.
Subsequently, Mishra was unlawfully detained outside the court on Tuesday after the hearing.
The High Court observed that the actions of SP Aarti Singh and her team constituted interference with the judicial process, describing their conduct as highly inappropriate and capable of undermining the due course of justice.
The court’s order underscores the judiciary’s firm stance against intimidation of petitioners and legal practitioners and reinforces the principle that law enforcement officers must adhere to legal norms without overstepping their authority.
