DOWRY PROHIBITION ACT, 1961
ARREST – UNNECESSARY ARREST AND CAUSAL AND MECHANICAL DETENTION
Arnesh Kumar v. State of Bihar
(2014) 8 SCC 273: 2014 (8) SCALE 250: AIR 2014 SC 2756: 2014 Cri LJ 3707
Criminal Appeal No. 1277 of 2014
Dated: July 02, 2014
BENCH: Justices Chandramauli Kr. Prasad and Pinaki Chandra Ghose.
Court has issued following directions to prevent from unnecessary arrest and causal and mechanical detention. Directions were issued in an endeavour to ensure that police officers do not arrest the accused unnecessarily and Magistrate do not authorise detention casually and mechanically in cases under Section 498A, I.P.C., the Court gave certain directions (however, the directions apply also to other cases where offence is punishable with imprisonment of not more than seven years) which include:
- All the State Governments to instruct its police officers not to automatically arrest when a case under Section 498A of the I.P.C. is registered but to satisfy themselves about the necessity for arrest under the parameters laid down above flowing from Section 41, Cr.P.C.;
- All police officers be provided with a check list containing specified sub-clauses under Section 41(1)(b)(ii);
- The police officer shall forward the check list duly filed and furnish the reasons and materials which necessitated the arrest, while forwarding/producing the accused before the Magistrate for further detention;
- The Magistrate while authorising detention of the accused shall peruse the report furnished by the police officer in terms aforesaid and only after recording its satisfaction, the Magistrate will authorise detention;
- The decision not to arrest an accused, be forwarded to the Magistrate within two weeks from the date of the institution of the case with a copy to the Magistrate which may be extended by the Superintendent of police of the district for the reasons to be recorded in writing;
- Notice of appearance in terms of Section 4 lA of Cr.P.C. be served on the accused within two weeks from the date of institution of the case, which may be extended by the Superintendent of Police of the District for the reasons to be recorded in writing;
- Failure to comply with the directions aforesaid shall apart from rendering the police officers concerned liable for departmental action, they shall also be liable to be punished for contempt of court to be instituted before High Court having territorial jurisdiction.
- Authorising detention without recording reasons as aforesaid by the judicial Magistrate concerned shall be liable for departmental action by the appropriate High Court.
- We hasten to add that the directions aforesaid shall not only apply to the cases under Section 498A of the I.P.C. or Section 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, the case in hand, but also such cases where offence is punishable with imprisonment for a term which may be less than seven years or which may extend to seven years; whether with or without fine.
- We direct that a copy of this judgment be forwarded to the Chief Secretaries as also the Director Generals of Police of all the State Governments and the Union Territories and the Registrar General of all the High Courts for onward transmission and ensuring its compliance.
