New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday issued a scathing indictment of the Uttar Pradesh Police for its continued attempts to criminalise civil disputes, calling the practice a “complete breakdown of the rule of law.” The bench, led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, warned that such conduct would invite penalties in future cases.
The apex court’s comments came during the hearing of a case involving a financial disagreement, in which the UP Police had filed a chargesheet seeking criminal prosecution. The petitioner alleged that bribes were paid to convert what was essentially a civil dispute into a criminal case.
Expressing sharp disapproval, CJI Khanna stayed the proceedings and directed UP Director General of Police Prashant Kumar and the investigating officer (IO) to file their responses within two weeks. “What is happening in UP is entirely unacceptable,” the Chief Justice said, according to LiveLaw. “Every day, civil suits are being turned into criminal cases. This is absurd—merely failing to repay money cannot amount to a criminal offence. I will ask the IO to step into the witness box and justify this as a criminal matter. Let him learn his lesson. This is not how chargesheets are supposed to be filed.”
The Chief Justice further rebuked the legal community in the state, saying many advocates “seemed to have forgotten that civil jurisdiction still exists.” The court allowed a brief adjournment but made it clear that going forward, similar cases would result in the imposition of costs on the police.
“This reflects a complete collapse of the rule of law,” Justice Khanna observed sternly.
