# Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar Man vs State Of Punjab

HTML version: [https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2026-0097](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2026-0097)

## Report card

By judgment dated 21 September 2026 in Criminal Appeal No. 4234 of 2026 (SLP (Crl.) No. 11103 of 2026), the Supreme Court of India (Coram: Ujjal Bhuyan, Atul S. Chandurkar, JJ.) adjudicated the matter concerning 2 police personnel, namely: Assistant Sub-Inspector (investigating officer), Police Station Mataur, SAS Nagar, Punjab Police; Inspector, Station House Officer, Police Station Mataur, SAS Nagar, Punjab Police.

- Register number: PB 65 CW 0004
- Case reference: Criminal Appeal No. 4234 of 2026 (SLP (Crl.) No. 11103 of 2026) / 2026 INSC 1022
- Court and date: Supreme Court of India (Coram: Ujjal Bhuyan, Atul S. Chandurkar, JJ.), 21 September 2026
- Officer(s) at the material time: Assistant Sub-Inspector (investigating officer), Police Station Mataur, SAS Nagar, Punjab Police; Inspector, Station House Officer, Police Station Mataur, SAS Nagar, Punjab Police
- Present service status: Not ascertained from the cited sources.
- Provisions invoked: Article 22(1) of the Constitution of India of the Constitution of India; Article 22(2) of the Constitution of India of the Constitution of India; the Section 47 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023
- Finding of the Court (extract): “If the enquiry culminates in adverse finding against the erring police officer(s), it would entail departmental action with entry in the service book of such officer(s).” (at para 25)
- Verdict, sentence and quantum: Adverse finding.
- Present status of the proceedings: The judgment is recent and may be subject to appeal; the pendency of an appeal is not a finding.
- Source orders: [Judgment / order (primary source)](https://indiankanoon.org/doc/144049703/); [Permanent link to this record](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2026-0097)

**Record:** CW-2026-0097 (compiler id CWC-1387)
**Title:** Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar Man vs State Of Punjab
**Court:** Supreme Court of India; judges: Ujjal Bhuyan; Atul S. Chandurkar
**Case number / citation:** Criminal Appeal No. 4234 of 2026 (SLP (Crl.) No. 11103 of 2026) / 2026 INSC 1022
**Judgment:** 2026-09-21 (2026, day precision)
**Incident date:** 2026-05-17 (2026)
**Place:** Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, Punjab; police station or unit: Police Station Mataur, SAS Nagar; force: state_police
**Category:** Violence & unlawful detention
**Sub-category:** illegal detention false imprisonment
**Outcome:** Adverse finding (adverse_finding)
**Sections:** Article 22(1) of the Constitution of India; Article 22(2) of the Constitution of India; Section 47 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023
**Officers (gated display forms):** Assistant Sub-Inspector (investigating officer), Police Station Mataur, SAS Nagar, Punjab Police; Inspector, Station House Officer, Police Station Mataur, SAS Nagar, Punjab Police (2 in record)
**Victims:** Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar man (1 in record)
**Sentence / compensation:** None ordered

The Supreme Court recorded that Punjab Police arrested a man at about 07:54 am on 17.05.2026 in a case registered at Mataur Police Station and produced him before the duty Magistrate only around noon on 18.05.2026, and that no written grounds of arrest were given to him; the Magistrate declared the arrest illegal and ordered his release. The Supreme Court set aside the High Court's order of 29.05.2026 staying that release. It held that re-arrest after such a breach needs the Magistrate's permission on an application that first furnishes the grounds of arrest. The State told the Court that a preliminary enquiry found the investigating Assistant Sub-Inspector guilty of blatant neglect of duty and that he was suspended, while the Station House Officer was transferred. The Court directed departmental enquiry in such lapses and expressed no opinion on the merits of the accusation.

> If the enquiry culminates in adverse finding against the erring police officer(s), it would entail departmental action with entry in the service book of such officer(s).

**Sources (3):** [indiankanoon.org](https://indiankanoon.org/doc/144049703/); [livelaw.in](https://www.livelaw.in/pdf_upload/2026/09/21/3504120262026-09-21-701585.pdf); [livelaw.in](https://www.livelaw.in/top-stories/police-officer-who-arrests-without-furnishing-written-grounds-must-face-departmental-enquiry-supreme-court-551024)
**Verification:** V2 · Externally reported
**Review:** Solo Staff combined review (one combined attestation) — not yet recorded
**admin category:** misconduct
**admin subcategory:** illegal_detention_false_imprisonment
**allegations:** {'category': 'Other', 'primary': True, 'position': 'Court finding', 'position_explainer': 'A court has made a finding on this allegation.', 'official_finding_relation': 'supports allegation'}
**anonymised:** True
**court quote para:** 25
**display title redacted:** Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar Man vs State Of Punjab
**followup history:** {'date': '2026-09-25', 'scope': 'Past-week sweep: record written from the order text; quote checked verbatim against the order.'}
**followup status:** checked
**institutional response:** {'date': '2026-09-21', 'action_type': 'Order issued', 'status': 'Concluded', 'authority': 'Supreme Court of India', 'independence': 'External', 'legal_effect': 'Binding', 'description': "The Supreme Court upheld the Magistrate's finding that the arrest breached Article 22 and set aside the High Court's stay; the State reported the investigating officer suspended and the SHO transferred.", 'disposition': 'adverse finding', 'source': '2026 INSC 1022', 'recheck': 'Not yet re-checked.'}
**last checked:** 2026-09-25
**link checked per url:** {'url': 'https://indiankanoon.org/doc/144049703/', 'link_checked': '2026-09-25'}
**retracted:** {"is_retracted": false}
**service:** police
**source assessment:** {"established": null, "basis": null}
**status:** current
**subcategory display:** illegal detention false imprisonment
**tier:** Tier A — Externally reported or officially recorded
**tier badge:** Externally reported
**tier history:** Tier A — Externally reported or officially recorded
**verdict:** accept
**verdict note:** Checked against the Supreme Court judgment dated 21.09.2026 (2026 INSC 1022). No compensation was awarded in this judgment.
**verification badge:** V2 · Externally reported
**verification status:** V2
**watch:** babuwatch

Status: Adverse finding.

[Open CW-2026-0097](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2026-0097)