Supreme Court Rebukes UP Jail for Bail Delay, Orders Rs 5 Lakh Compensation

The Supreme Court issued stern warnings to Uttar Pradesh jail authorities on Wednesday for the delayed release of a man granted bail in a case under the state's anti-conversion law. The court ordered Uttar Pradesh to provide Rs 5 lakh as compensation for the unwarranted loss of liberty.

A bench of Justices K V Viswanathan and N Kotiswar Singh emphasized the value of liberty as a guaranteed constitutional right. They noted the man had unjustly lost his liberty for 28 days due to a procedural oversight.

The release, initially ordered on April 29, wasn't executed until June 24, following a series of errors involving the trial court's documentation. The Supreme Court has called for a detailed inquiry and instructed corrective measures to prevent similar instances in the future.

(With inputs from agencies.)