The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered a judicial inquiry into why an accused, granted bail in April, remained behind bars in Ghaziabad jail for nearly two months. The case involves Aftab, accused under forced religious conversion laws linked to his marriage, who had to approach the top court again after jail officials refused his release citing a missing technicality in the bail order.
Calling it a “travesty of justice,” the bench of Justices KV Viswanathan and N Kotiswar Singh expressed anguish that a citizen’s liberty could be snatched over “useless technicalities,” especially when every official involved knew the details of the case.
The Court has tasked the Principal District Judge of Ghaziabad to probe the delay, fix accountability, and rule out any vested interests behind Aftab’s prolonged detention. In a stern message, the Court imposed a ₹5 lakh compensation on the state, with the possibility of officers paying personally if found negligent.
“We don’t know how many more undertrials are languishing due to such callousness. Liberty is a precious constitutional right, not to be taken lightly,” the Court remarked, promising strict action once the inquiry report is submitted by August 18.
