Prayagraj: The Allahabad High Court has expressed strong displeasure over the failure of police authorities to arrest an accused despite the issuance of a non-bailable warrant (NBW), warning that such negligence weakens public faith in the judiciary.
Taking a stern view of the matter, the Court remarked that the police must not take judicial orders lightly, stating, “This is a court of law. Do not play games with us and do not break the trust of the people.”
The observation came during the hearing of a criminal appeal linked to a 2019 case, in which an NBW issued against a convicted murderer had remained unexecuted for a long period.
Bench Raises Suspicion of Possible Collusion
The case was heard by a division bench comprising Justice Salil Kumar Rai and Justice Satyachir Singh, which raised serious concerns about the conduct of the police.
The Court also expressed suspicion of possible collusion between subordinate police officials and the accused, noting glaring contradictions between the police report and the affidavit submitted by the accused.
While the police claimed that the accused’s address could not be verified, the accused stated in his affidavit that police personnel had indeed visited his residence and informed him about the warrant.
Senior Officials Summoned
The High Court had earlier directed the Police Commissioner of Gautam Buddh Nagar and the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Hapur, to appear in person on February 4.
During the hearing, the SSP of Hapur and the DCP of Gautam Buddh Nagar appeared physically before the Court, while the Police Commissioner joined through video conferencing. The bench objected to the practice of sending representatives and made it clear that it would not entertain submissions through substitutes.
Departmental Action Initiated
Representing the state government, Additional Advocate General Anoop Trivedi informed the Court that disciplinary action has been initiated against the responsible officials. A constable, a sub-inspector, and other personnel involved in the matter have been suspended, and a departmental inquiry has been ordered.
The state assured the Court that strict measures will be taken to ensure timely execution of NBWs in future.
The matter is now scheduled for further hearing on March 23.
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