The Supreme Court on Monday (June 22) stayed the Allahabad High Court's order which had directed the State Government to make a payment of Rs. 10 lakhs as compensation to a man for over three months' illegal detention after illegal arrest.

A Bench of Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva was hearing the State's appeal challenging the High Court's decision on the limited issue of the quantum of compensation awarded by the High Court to the respondent.

The State argued against the quantum of compensation, while also acknowledging the non-supply of the grounds of arrest to the respondent. It informed the Court that disciplinary action had been initiated against the concerned Station House Officer (SHO), who had since been placed under suspension.

Following the submission made by the State's counsel, the bench proceeded to issue a notice and pass an interim stay order regarding the payment of compensation to the Respondent.

"Issue notice. In the meanwhile, the impugned order in so far as it relates to imposition of cost of ₹10 lakh on the petitioner shall remain stayed till the next date of hearing.", the Court said.

Background

The Respondent was arrested on January 27, 2026, in connection with an FIR filed in 2024. As stated earlier, the arrest memo did not state the specific grounds for his arrest, and it merely mentioned the case crime number.

Subsequently, the concerned Magistrate also remanded him on January 28, 2026. Therefore, challenging his arrest, remand order and continued detention, the petitioner approached the High Court filing a habeas corpus writ petition through his son.

The High Court had prima facie observed that the petitioner's arrest was illegal, as it was made without complying with the procedure directed by the Supreme Court in the case of Mihir Rajesh Shah v. State of Maharashtra & Anr.

Subsequently, upon finding that the Respondent (petitioner) was not released despite the judicial order, the High Court declared the arrest and remand illegal and directed the petitioner's forthwith release.

Furthermore, considering the petitioner's illegal arrest, which continued even on the day the order was passed, the bench opined that a cost of 10 lakh rupees was appropriate to be imposed on the State Government, to be paid to the petitioner within 4 weeks.

Cause Title: State of U.P. And Ors. Versus Manoj Kumar And Anr.