Allahabad High Court Orders ₹65,000 Compensation for Illegal Police Detention

Missing CCTV footage questioned

The Allahabad High Court sharply questioned the Station House Officer and Superintendent of Police over the failure of CCTV cameras at Gauri Bazar Police Station, Deoria. The issue arose in a habeas corpus petition alleging that four petitioners were detained unlawfully for varying periods, some for nearly ten days in April 2026.

The Court had earlier called for the police-station recordings to test the detention allegations. The officials’ account of when the system failed, how it was repaired and why the relevant footage was unavailable did not satisfy the Bench.

Personal liability for compensation

The Court directed the State to pay ₹20,000 each to three petitioners and ₹5,000 to the remaining petitioner, making a total of ₹65,000. It further ordered recovery of the amount from the SHO’s salary. The directions underline that CCTV preservation is a practical safeguard against custodial abuse and that unexplained non-production can invite serious judicial scrutiny.