The Supreme Court has put on hold a Madhya Pradesh High Court direction that required a police inspector to personally pay ₹1 lakh for allegedly conducting a “misguided investigation” in a case involving the kidnapping and murder of two young girls. The High Court had passed the order while acquitting the man who was earlier sentenced to death in the matter.
A bench of Justices K V Viswanathan and P B Varale was hearing a petition filed by Inspector Chain Singh Uikey, who challenged the adverse remarks made against him and the cost imposed by the High Court. The top court issued notice to the Madhya Pradesh Police and sought their response.
The bench recorded that the officer’s complaint was limited to the High Court’s observations in paragraphs 55 and 57(iii) of its judgment, which had found the investigation malicious and ordered recovery of ₹1,00,000 from him. “Until further orders, there shall be stay of paragraph 57(iii) of the impugned judgment and order passed by the High Court,” the bench directed.
Appearing for the officer, advocate Ashwani Dubey argued that the High Court had made sweeping findings without any material on record, without a disciplinary inquiry, and without giving the petitioner an opportunity to defend himself. He submitted that the remarks had caused serious prejudice to the officer.
The matter arises from an incident reported on April 4, 2022, when the bodies of two girls, aged five and three, were found in the Kudwa canal of Rajiv Sagar dam in the Mahakepar outpost area under Tirodi Police Station in Balaghat district.
Police claimed that the children were last seen with their uncle, who was subsequently arrested and charged with kidnapping and murder. A special court in Balaghat convicted him and awarded the death penalty on January 31, 2024.
However, the Madhya Pradesh High Court overturned the conviction, sharply criticising the investigation as malicious and negligent. The court observed that the flawed probe had resulted in an innocent man being incarcerated for three-and-a-half years.
With the Supreme Court’s interim protection, the recovery order against Inspector Uikey will remain suspended while the matter proceeds.
