MP High Court Imposes ₹50,000 Costs for False Illegal Detention Claim, Says Habeas Corpus Plea Misused to Shield Murder Accused

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has dismissed a habeas corpus petition alleging illegal detention of a woman by police and imposed costs of ₹50,000 on the petitioner, holding that the allegations were fabricated and intended to obstruct police efforts to trace the woman's absconding husband, who is wanted in a murder case.

The petition was filed by the woman's brother, who claimed that police personnel from Maharajpura Police Station, Gwalior, had illegally detained his sister and members of her family. Since the allegations were directed against the police, the Court initially directed the State to produce the woman or place the relevant records before it.

When the woman subsequently appeared before the Court, she alleged that police had unlawfully detained her on multiple occasions, demanded ₹1 lakh for her release, and harassed her family while searching for her husband. However, the Division Bench of Justice G.S. Ahluwalia and Justice Pushpendra Yadav found several inconsistencies in her account.

The Court noted that despite repeated questioning, she failed to identify the location where she was allegedly detained. It also observed that the alleged demand for money was absent from the original petition and that no attempt was made to place on record the fact that she had already returned home before the hearing. The Bench further questioned the absence of corroborative evidence despite references to CCTV footage.

Concluding that the allegations lacked credibility, the Court held that the petition was based on false facts and amounted to a misuse of judicial process. The habeas corpus plea was dismissed with costs, with directions for recovery and possible contempt proceedings in case of non-payment.