Supreme Court Terms Man's Arrest "Surprising" Despite No Arrest Order

The Supreme Court directed that the petitioner, if not required in any other case, be released today itself and the compliance be reported without fail within the day.

The Supreme Court Monday termed it "surprising" and "strange" that the police had obtained a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against a man who was later sent to custody in connection with an alleged cheating case in Maharashtra despite specific interim order of the top court that he shall not be arrested.

A vacation bench of Justices Dinesh Maheshwari and Krishna Murari observed that the top court had on May 7 last year issued notice on a plea filed by the man and had said that in the meantime, he shall not be arrested in connection with the FIR registered at Latur in Maharashtra.

The Supreme Court directed that the petitioner, if not required in any other case, be released today itself and the compliance be reported without fail within the day. "....it is rather intriguing to notice that despite specific interim order of this court that the petitioner shall not be arrested in connection with the FIR... the prosecution obtained non-bailable warrants against the petitioner and when he appeared before the court, the judicial magistrate first class....by his order dated June 24, 2022, observed that interim protection from arrest came to an end after six weeks from the order of this court," the bench said in its order.

The top court was hearing an application filed by the petitioner pointing out his arrest and seeking orders for his release.