The Madhya Pradesh High Court has directed the state’s police chief to initiate action against an investigating officer and a school principal for allegedly withholding critical documents that helped an accused win an acquittal in a case involving a minor girl.
Justices G S Ahluwalia and Anuradha Shukla ordered the Director General of Police (DGP) to decide on disciplinary measures within a month and submit a compliance report to the principal registrar by August 12, 2026. The division bench accused the officer and the school principal of playing a fraud on the court by suppressing evidence of the girl’s actual age, which led a trial court to dismiss charges against the accused earlier this year.
The court issued these directions during a hearing on a habeas corpus petition filed by Ravi Prajapati, who sought the release of the teenage girl from a One Stop Centre. Prajapati claimed her retention at the protective facility was illegal because a trial court had previously determined she was an adult. However, after examining original administrative and school registers, the High Court established the girl’s correct date of birth as February 10, 2009, confirming she is currently 17 years old. The court ruled she must remain at the facility until she reaches adulthood.
Discrepancies in School Records
The case dates back to a February 2 ruling in which a trial court acquitted Prajapati, stating the prosecution had failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the girl was a minor at the time of the alleged offense. Following his acquittal, Prajapati petitioned the High Court, supported by the girl’s statement that she wished to live with him. Her parents, however, contested the claim, maintaining she was a minor and presenting official documents to back their assertion.
To resolve the conflicting claims, the High Court summoned the original case diary and school records. An examination of the school’s admission registers revealed two entries from 2015. A July 2015 register recorded the girl’s birth date as May 10, 2008. However, a second register, created in September 2015 to log corrections based on her birth certificate and Aadhaar card, showed her birth date as February 10, 2009.
Despite the corrected records, the school principal had issued an age certificate based solely on the older, uncorrected register, withholding the revised data. Furthermore, other government records—including a Planning, Economics and Statistics Department certificate, a municipal birth certificate, and documents under the Ladli Laxmi Yojana—unanimously recorded her birth date as February 10, 2009.
Court Slams Police Attitude
The High Court observed that the investigating officer made no effort to secure educational records from the parents. The bench noted that the suppression of these documents forced the trial court to conclude that the prosecution had failed to establish the girl’s minor status.
Criticizing the state police, the court questioned whether officers who exhibit a hostile attitude in cases involving minor girls should be allowed to go unpunished. It highlighted that under juvenile justice laws, school certificates are key documents for age determination, making the principal’s and officer’s actions highly negligent.
Pending Appeal Status
The state’s appeal against Prajapati’s acquittal is currently pending before the Indore bench of the High Court. The division bench directed that a copy of its current order be placed on the appellate record, suggesting that the state could file an application to introduce the newly verified evidence regarding the girl’s age.
The court concluded that because the girl is a minor, she cannot be released to Prajapati. She will remain at the One Stop Centre until she turns 18, after which she is free to live according to her own choices.
