NEW DELHI: Highlighting the anguish of those who have to face undue harassment at the hands of police, the Supreme Court has said a police officer who abuses his position must be dealt with sternly, and presumptions and standards applicable to an accused-layperson would not apply to them. It cancelled the anticipatory bail granted to three Maharashtra police officers who had allegedly harassed a family, including a minor girl, following a search on a train. “When law enforcers turn extortionists, the citizen looks askance and is left in a dilemma. To confront is to invite instant retaliation and the option is only to succumb meekly to the uniformed authority, even when there is patent abuse,” a bench of Justices Sanjay Kumar and K Vinod Chandran said. The Bombay HC had granted anticipatory bail to thecops who allegedly harassed and extracted money from the family after a gold bar was found in their baggage. Quashing the order, the bench said the HC “threw to the winds the caution expressed by this court” in State of Jharkhand vs Sandeep Kumar in which abuse of authority had come up for consideration. “This court held that in every case of anticipatory bail the factors which ought to weigh with courts are the gravity of offence, probity of evidence, antecedents of accused, possibilities of flight, tampering with evidence, influencing witnesses, the impact on society and any aspect peculiar to the case or the accused. The grant of anticipatory bail, especially to a wayward police officer charged with enforcement of law, where the normal presumptions applicable to an accused layperson would not apply, was frowned upon, especially when there is a clear abuse of authority,” the bench said.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosBoost For Air Defence: 4th S-400 Squadron ‘Starts Arriving In India From Russia’Pakistan Embarrassed In Japan As ‘Illegal’ Mosque Inaugurated In Presence Of Envoy Faces DemolitionVijay’s TVK Offers Rajya Sabha Seat To Congress Ahead Of June 18 PollFinal 1% Left To Resolve In India-US Trade Deal: US Envoy Sergio GorFirhad Hakim Resigns As Kolkata Mayor, TMC Says Mamata Banerjee ‘Permitted’ HimExpelled TMC Leader Ritabrata Banerjee Appointed LoP, Urges Mamata To Be Rebels’ ‘Chief Advisor”Cease Such Attacks’: India Condemns Kuwait Airport Attack That Killed Indian CitizenHow A Class 12 Student Traced The CBSE-Coempt Tender Trail And Raised Tough QuestionsMamata’s TMC Orders Organisational Reset Amid Growing MLA Revolt Buzz | WatchThe US Just Threatened India With New Tariffs Mid-Negotiation. Here’s The Full Story123PhotostoriesOffice commute in 45°C? Here are 5 summer survival hacks every working woman needs10 rare snakes found in the Amazon rainforest and what travellers should knowExpert says these 5 toddler behaviours may feel frustrating to parents, but they are completely normalKangana Ranaut skips fast fashion, embraces handloom royalty in Gaurang Shah’s majestic Kanjeevaram sareeBenefits of Tulsi Mala according to hindu traditions8 metro corridors driving residential growth and transforming India’s urban housing landscapeGreen anacondas can do THIS? 10 facts that may surprise youKatrina Kaif to Kareena Kapoor Khan: Bollywood actresses who became mothers after 40 and broke stereotypesLalit Modi’s crores-worth London mansion is a 7,000 sq ft cricketing den with signed jerseys, lavish interiors and a private liftUttarakhand’s Valley of Flowers is now open for 2026: Everything travellers need to know before visiting123Hot PicksDelhi Restaurant FireRitabrata BanerjeeDonald TrumpAbhishek BanerjeeJay Silva Cause of DeathWI vs SLMaria SharapovaPat CumminsRitabrata BanerjeeTop TrendingDelhi Malviya Nagar Restaurant FireBengaluru MurderK AnnamalaiPatrik LaineMaja chwalinskaDK ShivakumarKarnataka Family MurderSouth Delhi Building CollapseMamata BanerjeeAbhishek Banerjee
NEW DELHI: Highlighting the anguish of those who have to face undue harassment at the hands of police, the Supreme Court has said a police officer who abuses his position must be dealt with sternly, and presumptions and standards applicable to an accused-layperson would not apply to them. It cancelled the anticipatory bail granted to three Maharashtra police officers who had allegedly harassed a family, including a minor girl, following a search on a train. “When law enforcers turn extortionists, the citizen looks askance and is left in a dilemma. To confront is to invite instant retaliation and the option is only to succumb meekly to the uniformed authority, even when there is patent abuse,” a bench of Justices Sanjay Kumar and K Vinod Chandran said. The Bombay HC had granted anticipatory bail to thecops who allegedly harassed and extracted money from the family after a gold bar was found in their baggage. Quashing the order, the bench said the HC “threw to the winds the caution expressed by this court” in State of Jharkhand vs Sandeep Kumar in which abuse of authority had come up for consideration. “This court held that in every case of anticipatory bail the factors which ought to weigh with courts are the gravity of offence, probity of evidence, antecedents of accused, possibilities of flight, tampering with evidence, influencing witnesses, the impact on society and any aspect peculiar to the case or the accused. The grant of anticipatory bail, especially to a wayward police officer charged with enforcement of law, where the normal presumptions applicable to an accused layperson would not apply, was frowned upon, especially when there is a clear abuse of authority,” the bench said.
