NEW DELHI: Terming the action of Chhattisgarh Police as "gross impropriety" for booking a man under the UAPA days after the Supreme Court granted him interim protection from arrest in a murder case, the apex court on Friday reprimanded the State police for not complying with its order and instead adding stringent charges against him.
A two-judge bench of the Supreme Court, comprising Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, made these remarks while hearing an appeal filed by Manish Rathore, a content writer for a news agency, who had challenged the Chhattisgarh High Court's refusal to grant him anticipatory bail in a murder case.
The top court questioned the conduct of the police, stating that the UAPA charge was added to deliberately undermine its 2 January interim bail order.
"This hasty action has been taken by the police against the appellant to ensure that he is taken into custody and the interim order dated 2 January is nullified," the bench observed.
Expressing strong disapproval, the court warned of initiating contempt proceedings against the police officials involved. "This is gross impropriety committed by the police officer. We will not hesitate to initiate action for criminal contempt of court. He was aware of the orders of this court," the bench said while questioning the counsel representing Chhattisgarh.
In response, the State's counsel argued that the accused had previously jumped bail and that there was substantial evidence linking him to "Naxal" activities.
However, the court did not accept this reasoning and made its interim protection order absolute, granting bail to the accused.