UP Government Ordered to Pay ₹50,000 Compensation to Accused; High Court Takes Strict Stance on Furnishing False Information Regarding Criminal Record

Following a verdict by the Allahabad High Court, an accused individual—who fell victim to a police error and spent 15 days in jail—has finally received justice. Notably, the Allahabad High Court recently directed the Uttar Pradesh government to pay ₹50,000 in compensation to the accused, as the police had opposed his bail plea by providing false information regarding his criminal history.

The Allahabad High Court issued this order while hearing the case titled *Furqan vs. State of Uttar Pradesh*. The case dates back to November of last year, when the police arrested Deshwal Furqan in connection with the theft of a Santro car. After court proceedings spanning approximately four to five months, the accused was released on March 10.

**Police Furnished False Information**

Subsequently, Deshwal Furqan's counsel sought action against the police department and filed a petition in the Allahabad High Court. The counsel argued that the accused should have been released as early as February 23; however, he remained in jail for an additional 15 days because the police falsely claimed that 12 cases were registered against him in his criminal record, whereas, in reality, there were only five cases.

**Order for ₹50,000 Compensation**

Upon examining the petition, the Court found that false information had indeed been furnished by the Investigating Officer. The Court noted that the accused had already provided clarifications regarding the five cases recorded in his criminal history. During the hearing, Justice Arun Kumar Singh directed the State Government to pay ₹50,000 in compensation to the applicant within one month from the date of the order. **Court Adopts a Strict Stance**

Justice Arun Kumar Singh further observed that, although there appeared to be no malicious intent on the part of the Investigating Officer, their negligence nonetheless resulted in a citizen being wrongfully detained in jail for 15 days. It is noteworthy that when the accused challenged the claims made regarding their criminal history, the Court adopted a strict stance on the matter. Consequently, the Court summoned the Additional Director General (Technical Services) of Lucknow.

**Omission by the Investigating Officer**

Appearing via video conferencing on March 10, ADG Naveen Arora acknowledged that an omission had occurred on the part of the Investigating Officer. He explained that the criminal record of any accused person can be easily accessed through the CCTNS system. Arora further stated that the Joint Director of Prosecution at the Allahabad High Court had been provided with access to view case diaries via the ICJS system; however, due to a shortage of staff, this facility had not been utilized.

Subsequently, the Court directed the Director of Prosecution to deploy adequate staff to the office of the Joint Director of Prosecution to ensure that the ICJS facility is utilized effectively and that there are no delays in the workflow.