The Bombay High Court declared the arrest of a President Medal awarded policeman illegal due to wrong investigation of a murder case and directed the Maharashtra government to pay him a compensation of Rs 2 lakh. The court has also ordered an investigation against the Additional Superintendent of Police of Satara in this case.
In fact, the victim policeman had filed a petition in the High Court demanding dismissal of the charges against him and a compensation of Rs 10 lakh.
what was the matter
The victim Patil was the officer in charge of the police station in Karad town of Satara district in 2009. During this time he investigated a murder. After his transfer, the investigation of this case was handed over to another police officer. In 2012, the then Superintendent of Police called him to his office to give him information related to this case.
When Patil reached the office, the police told him that he had been arrested for not conducting the investigation properly and destroying evidence. The next day, Patil was produced in the court for remand, where he was released on bail. After this he filed a petition in the High Court and claimed that he was detained illegally.
This is an extraordinary case
The division bench of Justice AS Chandurkar and Justice Rajesh Patil, while delivering the verdict in this case, said that the police officer was detained illegally. Describing this as an extraordinary case, the court said that the arrest of the petitioner was not mandatory, in this case bail could have been granted. The court also said that as per law the petitioner should have been produced before the Superintendent of Police after his arrest.
entitled to compensation
The court said that the petitioner has sought compensation on the basis of his arrest and claimed that it was a violation of Article 21 of the Indian Constitution. The court said Patil was awarded the President’s Police Medal and the Director General of Police’s Insignia for Meritorious Service in January 2004 for his meritorious service.
On this basis, the petitioner is entitled to receive compensation of Rs 2 lakh from the state government. The court has directed Patil to pay the compensation amount within eight weeks. Along with this, the court said that the state government is free to recover this amount from the guilty officer.