JUSTICE FOR ONE BECAME AN INJUSTICE TO ALL

The Supreme Court, recently, in all its magnanimity, showed mercy upon a government officer and gave him a chance to prove himself by observing that, “change of heart can occur at any time in any person”. If only, an ordinary person could also fall within the realm of any person.

This mercy was shown to a Station House Officer in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, who by an order of the Supreme Court itself, in January 2026 was directed to be posted to the Line without assigning any duty of investigating/supervising any investigation/posting in a Police Station. Such a direction was passed in view of serious observations made by the Court, while assessing the complete material placed on record.

What may appear to be an ordinary Station House Officer is in fact a very powerful man, who kept the entire police machinery in his pockets, which was already bursting at the seams. Posted in Indore, MP, not very long ago in 2023, in over 500 FIR’s registered as him being the Investigating Officer, in about 195 and 215 FIR’s, the same stock witnesses respectively, have been used. The Officer, without fear and with complete impunity, has registered false cases, thereby, harassing citizens for money and pushing them unnecessarily to criminal trials, where ultimately, in the cases known, the charges have found to be false.

His acts knew no bounds, and while the Supreme Court was seized of a matter, where a false affidavit was filed before the Court, he made an attempt to wriggle out of the situation by tendering a hollow apology. However, on that very day, an intervention application was filed on behalf of a young member of the bar, highlighting not only the torment the advocate faced at the hands of the officer but also his gross misconduct as a public servant. The application, as the officer’s fate would have it, came in to close the loop on the officer’s conduct, or so we thought. The Supreme Court then, took a stringent view and sought for the officer’s affidavit. The matter was posted for after two weeks; the officer had enough time to feed his family’s needs.

That very evening, the diligent machinery he set up back in Indore, worked and another FIR was registered using the same stock witness that was used earlier 195 times and more.

The next day the officer went back on his duty and illegally detained a passerby and handcuffed him. A habeas corpus petition was filed before the Madhya Pradesh High Court, where the officer confirmed the act of detention and handcuffing. The petition was however, mysteriously withdrawn after two weeks and strangely, the High Court did not see the oddity and permitted it.

In between the detention and the habeas corpus petition, another FIR was registered and the same stock witnesses were once again used.

His position and power are reflected from the very conduct and control that he appears to have on the system, which not only negatively impacts the confidence in citizens but takes away the already dwindling faith a common citizen has on the police authorities.

The question that remains is whether a man of such formidable character, with intentions unknown and greed all over, ought to have been given any chance at all by the Court or his case should have led by example by initiating inquiries/cases as per law. The measure, even if interim, sends out the message that the highest Court may not protect the common citizens but shall always try to grease the rusted units of a machinery rather than eliminating it.

An example here could be the recent Delhi High judgment in Baldev Singh v. CBI (Crl.A.No. 567/2001), where the High Court upheld the conviction of an Assistant Sub Inspector for accepting a bribe of Rs. 5000/- thirty years after the offence was committed. Hence, while on one hand, the common citizen may see this judgment as a sign of victory against corruption, on the other hand, the order granting mercy by the Supreme Court, re-ignites their fear of knowing that extraordinary officials can maneuver, if not escape, the tethers of law.

Law must not only be enumerated in an order sheet like a lifeless tool, but it is the expectation of the writer and the citizens that the law must be given life to protect its citizens and shield them from the rigours of administrative high handedness, a reality they suffer through every single day.