‘Grossest of contempt’, SC warns of sending police officers, judicial magistrate to jail on police custody of businessman despite bai

The apex court was livid over the fact that the businessman was remanded in policy custody, and allegedly threatened and beaten to extort Rs 1.65 crore from him.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday came down heavily upon the Gujarat police for arrest and the police remand of a businessman, even after it had granted him anticipatory bail, saying it was the “grossest of contempt” and “sheer abuse of power”.

A bench of Justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Mehta issued notice to police officials and a judicial magistrate of Surat and ordered them to be present before it on January 29. 

The apex court had granted anticipatory bail to Surat resident Tusharbhai Rajnikantbhai Shah in a cheating case. 

The court was informed that the businessman was remanded in police custody, and allegedly threatened to extort Rs 1.65 crore from him in the presence of the complainant.

Annoyed with non-compliance of its order, the bench said it seems Gujarat follows different laws, this is pure violation of the orders, and "the grossest of contempt”.

Senior advocate Iqbal H Syed and advocate Mohammad Aslam, representing Shah, said they have filed an application with the commissioner of police to preserve the CCTV footage of Surat’s Vesu police station from December 13, till December 16, 2023, the period when their client was in custody.

“Let the magistrate and the investigating officer come and explain how the remand orders were passed," the bench said. 

The court also said it would direct the DGP to send the contemnors to Sabarmati jail or somewhere else.

The bench also asked when the court had on December 8, 2023 granted anticipatory bail to the petitioner, how was the remand order passed and Shah taken into custody.

The court also asked Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, representing the Gujarat government, regarding CCTV footage. 

As the court was informed that the cameras were not working, the bench said, “This was expected. It’s intentional. The cameras may not have been working for those four days. The police may not have marked his (Shah) presence in the police station diary. This is sheer abuse of power”.

The bench said it will issue contempt notice to the magistrate also and told Raju, ask everyone to come on January 29 with all their bags and baggage and the court will decide the matter on January 29 itself.

Raju apologised to the bench, acknowledging that the investigating officer had committed a blunder.

Referring to four days illegal custody, the bench said let the magistrate and the investigation officer be inside for four days.

After hearing submissions, the bench issued notices to the Additional Chief Secretary of the Home Department, Commissioner of Police of Surat, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Inspector of Vesu police station, and the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate concerned. 

Shah said the top court in December ordered that in the event of his arrest, he be released on bail in connection with the FIR dated July 21, 2023 subject to him executing a personal bond of Rs 25,000. 

However, the police arrested him when he went to the police station on December 11 to join the investigation. He was released on bail after he executed a bond as directed by the apex court.