The Patna High Court has deemed the arrest of a Muslim minor student by the Bihar police as “unlawful,” following his detention in jail for over two months. The court ordered the State to pay ₹5 lakh as compensation, emphasizing that it could not act as a “mute spectator” in this case.
The boy’s family initiated a habeas corpus petition after he was taken into custody on October 23, 2025, describing his detention as “illegal.” A bench comprising Justices Rajeev Ranjan Prasad and Ritesh Kumar cited that the police’s justification for the arrest was insufficient, holding them accountable for their actions.
The court noted that the Investigating Officer (I.O.) arrested the minor, who is under 16 years of age, without solid evidence or rationale, asserting that such an action was unjustified. “The I.O. proceeded to arrest the petitioner, a student aged below 16 years, without there being any cogent material. He could not have done so in this case,” the bench articulated.
The judges criticized the magistrate for failing to protect the boy against illegal detention. In declaring the police action unlawful, the court mandated the State to pay ₹5 lakh for the boy’s “unlawful arrest and detention,” directing that the payment be made within one month of the order’s release. Furthermore, the court clarified that the cost would ultimately be borne by the officials involved in the wrongful arrest.
In addition to the compensation for unlawful arrest, the court awarded the boy’s family ₹15,000 for expenses incurred in pursuing the litigation due to the police’s misuse of authority. This amount was intended to mitigate the financial burden imposed on the family by pursuing a case that stemmed from the police’s wrongful actions.
The Patna High Court called upon the Director General of Police, Bihar, to initiate an administrative inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the arrest. The court instructed that suitable action be taken based on the inquiry findings so that the compensation and costs can be recovered from the responsible officials within six months of the order.
The case originated from a clash in Madhepura village, where an FIR was filed. Although the boy was named in the FIR, he was not included in the charge sheet, and the arresting officer mistakenly recorded his age as 19 before detaining him on October 23. The court highlighted the violation of the boy’s liberty, given that he was a juvenile arrested without evidence and relegated to jail by the magistrate without due diligence.
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