New Delhi, June 19: India’s Supreme Court on Wednesday expressed shock at the Madras High Court’s order directing the arrest and suspension of a senior police officer in Tamil Nadu, calling the move demoralising and legally questionable.
A bench comprising Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice Manmohan was hearing a petition filed by Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) H.M. Jayaram, who was arrested on Monday following a Madras High Court directive in connection with an abduction case.
“He’s a senior police officer. Where’s the question of suspending him if he’s joined the investigation? You can’t do this. This is very demoralising,” Justice Bhuyan said, instructing the Tamil Nadu government counsel to seek immediate instructions to withdraw the suspension order.
Justice Manmohan added, “I have been a judge for 18 years. I never knew I had this power [to direct arrest],” as cited by legal news portal Live Law. Jayaram’s counsel told the court the arrest was based on a confessional statement and that the officer had been held in custody for 24 hours. Justice Bhuyan described the Madras High Court’s order as “shocking.”
The arrest stems from a case filed by a woman named Lakshmi, who alleged that her younger son was abducted and assaulted by individuals linked to the family of a girl her elder son had married against their wishes. The abduction reportedly occurred after the couple went into hiding.
The arrest directive was issued orally by Justice P Velmurugan of the Madras High Court on June 16 while hearing an anticipatory bail plea filed by local legislator M Jagan Moorthy, an accused in the case.
The Supreme Court is currently reviewing the matter, which raises questions over the limits of judicial authority and procedural fairness in criminal investigations involving senior government officials.
