Supreme Court: State ordered to pay compensation for unlawful detention

The Supreme Court, comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K. Vinod Chandran, dismissed the Special Leave Petition of Arun @Deepak and ordered the State of Uttar Pradesh to pay compensation for his unlawful detention. The judgment, delivered on 26 October 2026, directed payment of Rs 6,00,000 with interest at 18 percent per annum for delay, to be made within one month.

The petitioner had been arrested in 2019 under Sections 364, 302 and 201 of the Indian Penal Code in connection with a kidnapping‑murder case. He remained in custody as an under‑trial for six years. The trial court acquitted him, finding that the prosecution’s case relied on circumstantial evidence, a CCTV identification, a co‑accused’s confession and an alleged ransom demand, none of which proved guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

The Court examined whether the State was liable to compensate for the deprivation of liberty caused by a defective investigation and prosecution. It observed that forensic identification of the alleged bones was absent, electronic evidence lacked a Section 65B certification, the purported ransom demand was not recorded, and the confessional statements were inadmissible. Concluding that the prosecution’s case was untenable and the prolonged detention violated the constitutional right to liberty, the Court ordered the State to pay the stipulated compensation with interest.

Read the judgment and its head note on DLJ: Arun @Deepak vs State Of U.P (2026 INSC 1150).