The Allahabad High Court has taken serious exception to a reported practice in which investigating officers allegedly demand money from litigants in exchange for filing counter affidavits in court. In a strong directive issued on Tuesday, the Court asked the Director General of Police (DGP), Uttar Pradesh, to circulate instructions to all police officers in the state prohibiting such conduct.
Justice Prashant Kumar made these observations while hearing a case filed by Kamlesh Mishra and another party. During the proceedings, the counsel for the applicants informed the court that the investigating officer, Madhusudan Verma, called one of the parties at 11:47 am and demanded ₹3,000 as a prerequisite for filing the counter affidavit in the matter.
The advocate further submitted that such demands had become a routine practice, with officers often contacting parties directly and soliciting money for procedural steps. When confronted in court, IO Madhusudan Verma admitted to making the phone call, claiming it was for gathering information. However, he denied demanding any money and submitted a personal affidavit stating that the allegations were baseless and intended to malign the image of the police department.
Dismissing the explanation as unsatisfactory, the Court noted, “The aforesaid stand taken in the personal affidavit does not explain the conduct of the IO.” Justice Kumar deemed the alleged practice “highly deplorable” and referred the matter to the DGP for a proper inquiry into the conduct of the officer.
The High Court directed the DGP to issue a clear circular prohibiting police personnel from contacting parties for money in relation to court filings and ordered that the case be listed for further hearing on July 23.
