The Uttar Pradesh government on Friday informed the Supreme Court that it has compensated a man whose release from Ghaziabad jail was delayed by nearly a month despite being granted bail.
The Supreme Court has scheduled the next hearing for August 25 to over a detailed investigation into the alleged negligence in the release of the Muslim man, who was jailed under Uttar Pradesh’s Anti-Conversion Law.
The bench comprising Justice K.V. Viswanathan and Justice N. Kotiswar Singh recorded the compliance report submitted by the counsel representing the Uttar Pradesh government.
According to the report, the government has transferred ₹5 lakh as interim compensation to the prisoner’s account, in compliance with the Court’s order.
However, the Court expressed displeasure over the conduct of the jail authorities and said that a penalty of ₹5 lakh could be imposed on the officer found responsible.
In the previous hearing, the Court had strongly remarked that the case was a matter of personal liberty and such negligence would not be tolerated.
The bench had asked the Director General (Prisons) of Uttar Pradesh how such incidents would be prevented in the future. The DG assured the Court that jail superintendents would be given instructions.
The Court directed that the scope of the investigation must determine whether the delay in the prisoner’s release was intentional, who was responsible, and why the prisoner was kept in custody after May 27, 2025.
Justice Viswanathan firmly stated that the Court would not let the matter go, as many others could be languishing in jail under similar circumstances.
The issue came to light when the prisoner filed a petition, stating that he was not released despite being granted bail in April because the bail order did not mention a specific subsection of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act.
The Court called this a mockery of justice and affirmed that the bail order was valid.
The bench stressed the need to sensitise officials.
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