Compensation Ordered for Unlawful Handcuffing: Maharashtra Police Held Accountable

The Bombay High Court has directed the Maharashtra government to pay Rs 50,000 each to lawyer Yogeshwar Kawade and ex-serviceman Avinash Date for being unlawfully handcuffed by police. The court described the treatment as 'humiliation' and criticized the police for undermining public confidence in the criminal justice system.

On Tuesday, the Nagpur bench of the High Court called the incident an 'unwarranted humiliation' and emphasized the importance of the police motto to protect good and punish evil, which it argued was not upheld in this case. The court ruled that the compensation must be paid within eight weeks and called on law enforcement to serve both the accused and the community fairly.

The case originated from an August 2010 incident when Kawade and Date claimed to have been wrongly detained and humiliated by police after they lodged a complaint at the Talegaon police station. An inquiry was conducted, and subsequent action was reported against the responsible officers. Nevertheless, the judges underscored the necessity of monetary reparation for rights infringements, aiming to mend the judicial breach and offer redress for legal injury.