Allahabad HC orders probe against Raebareli SP for wrongful arrest

Lucknow, May 2 The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has directed the Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP), Prashant Kumar, to conduct an investigation through a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the alleged wrongful arrest of an MBA student by the Raebareli Superintendent of Police (SP).

The arrest was allegedly made under the guise of a theft case by the SP through his subordinates.

The court also directed the DGP to constitute an SIT with members senior to the implicated police officers, including Raebareli SP, Abhishek Agrawal, to investigate the incident thoroughly.

The court asked for a report from the SIT within two months and scheduled the matter to be reviewed on July 3, 2024.

DGP Kumar said he directed the Additional Director General (ADG), law and order, Amitabh Yash, to form an SIT led by a senior IPS officer above the rank of SP, as directed by the High Court.

He added that the relevant officials have been instructed to submit their findings within two months.

The order was issued by a division bench consisting of Justice Vivek Chaudhary and Justice Narendra Kumar Johari in response to a petition filed by an elderly woman, Gomati Mishra.

The petitioner claimed that her son was arrested by the police on the intervening night of March 30 and March 31, 2024, as recorded on a CCTV camera at the petrol station where the arrest took place.

However, the arrest record shows him being arrested a day later in a theft case.

She also alleged that her son, who holds an MBA degree and has no criminal record, was falsely implicated in the theft case because he refused to provide his taxi to Abhishek Agrawal, an IPS officer, and the Rae Bareli SP.

The court noted that despite repeatedly granting time, the respondent police officers were unable to explain why they had not investigated the alleged arrest on the intervening night of March 30 and March 31.

"In these circumstances, we find it appropriate to refer the matter to the Uttar Pradesh DGP, who shall have an SIT constituted with members superior to the implicated police officers, including Abhishek Agarwal, Raebareli SP, to investigate the entire incident," the court said.

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