Civil liberties in Uttar Pradesh 'shameful': Allahabad HC

PRAYAGRAJ: The Allahabad High Court has observed that the civil liberties situation in Uttar Pradesh is "shameful" and police have "little regard" for citizens' fundamental rights upon hearing an "excuse" of missing CCTV footage.

Hearing a habeas corpus plea, Justice Atul Sreedharan and Justice Achal Sachdev ordered to set free petitioner Aausad Ahmad if he is not wanted any other case. The bench said it would be sufficient to accept the petitioner's contention that he had been unlawfully detained.

The court directed a sum of Rs 20,000 to be paid to the petitioner as a cost, in seven days. Taking note of the "excuse" the court said the police cannot use the excuse of CCTV malfunctioning in a case of alleged unlawful detention.

Aausad Ahmad, a resident of Bijnor, claimed Bijnor police took him in custody on September 5, 2026, but showed his formal arrest only on September 7, 2026.

In his petition, Aausad's daughter, who was the first petitioner in the case, alleged that police personnel and SOG officials in civil dress forcibly took away her father from outside Nangal police station in Bijnor where both of them had gone after being called by the police in connection with a honeytrap case lodged against Ahmad.

According to the petition, they reached the police station around 2:30 pm on September 5, 2026 and were in their vehicle, having contacted the SHO, when a car entered the premises near the gate. Four people allegedly got out, surrounded their car and took Ahmad away.

To verify the allegations the court had directed the state to furnish CCTV footages from the police station from September 1 to September 5.

The state informed the court that the CCTV footage for the said period was not available, citing only a general diary entry dated September 5, stating the CCTV had malfunctioned due to a thunderstorm and rain.

In the judgment dated November 3, the court observed Nangal's SHO Anoo Kumari, had deliberately not provided the CCTV footage relevant to deciding the case directing that it be entered in her service records. It also said that the state should consider she should continue in the present post.