‘Seems a Ghost Filed an FIR’: Allahabad HC Reprimands UP Police

The Allahabad High Court has dismissed criminal proceedings against Purushottam Singh, revealing an extraordinary case of procedural error involving a deceased individual.

The court uncovered that an FIR had been filed based on a complaint from Shabd Prakash, who had been deceased for several years prior to the registration of the complaint.

A single bench of Justice Saurabh Shyam Shamshery expressed disbelief at the situation, noting, “It is very strange that a dead person has not only lodged an FIR but has also recorded his statement before the Investigating Officer.” He further commented, “Thereafter, a vakalatnama has also been filed on behalf of him (the deceased) in the present case. It appears that all the proceedings are undertaken by a ghost.”

The court has ordered the Kushinagar superintendent of police (SP) to investigate the conduct of the investigating officer involved in this unusual case.

The case dates back to 2014 when an FIR was registered at Kotwali Hata police station in Kushinagar district. The FIR named Shabd Prakash as the informant, despite his death on December 19, 2011, as documented in official records and confirmed by his wife. Remarkably, during the investigation, statements were recorded as if Prakash were alive and actively participating in the legal process. This culminated in a charge sheet being filed on November 23, 2014, with the deceased listed as a prosecution witness.

Read More: Supreme Court, Delhi High Court, States High Court, International