Prayagraj/New Delhi, March 19 (NationPress) The Allahabad High Court has approved bail for an individual accused in a vehicle theft incident, while mandating the Uttar Pradesh government to provide Rs 50,000 in compensation for his extended detention resulting from an erroneous criminal history submitted by the police.

In granting the bail request from Furkan, who was implicated in a case filed at the Quarsi police station in Aligarh district under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Justice Arun Kumar Singh Deshwal of a single-judge Bench noted that the applicant had been wrongfully imprisoned for an extra 15 days due to a mistake by the investigating officer. The officer mistakenly indicated that the accused had 12 criminal cases against him instead of the actual five.

Justice Deshwal remarked, "It is undisputed that the applicant has been confined for an additional 15 days due to the incorrect criminal history of 12 cases provided by the relevant I.O., despite the applicant having clarified his criminal history of five cases."

The Allahabad High Court consequently ordered that "the state shall pay a compensation of Rs 50,000 to the applicant within one month from today."

Additionally, Justice Deshwal emphasized that the investigating officer did not act with any malicious intent and attributed the mistake to negligence.

"The review of the records shows no malice from the I.O.; rather, it was a mistake stemming from negligence, possibly due to his high workload," the order noted.

Previously, during a hearing on February 23, the prosecution raised concerns that the applicant had only disclosed five cases, contrasting with the case diary showing 12 FIRs.

This led the Allahabad High Court to consult with the Additional Director General of Technical Services, who later confirmed that the discrepancy was due to a data entry error.

After considering the submissions and the overall circumstances, Justice Deshwal concluded that, without commenting on the case's merits, the applicant was justified in receiving bail.

"Assessing the comprehensive facts and circumstances, the arguments presented by the parties, and considering the nature of the offense, the evidence, and the accused's involvement, along with the overcrowded jails and significant backlog of criminal cases before the trial court… without expressing any view on the case's merits, I believe the applicant is entitled to be released on bail," the judge stated.

In addition to providing relief to the applicant, the Allahabad High Court issued several administrative measures aimed at refining criminal justice procedures. It instructed the Director General of Police (DGP) to ensure the precision of criminal history reporting and urged the Director of Prosecution to enhance staffing levels so that digital systems like the Interoperable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) can be efficiently utilized.