Supreme Court Steps In to Protect Elderly Woman in Forgery Case

In a surprising turn of events, the Supreme Court has stepped in to protect a 71-year-old woman accused of forgery connected to a 1971 land sale deed in Uttar Pradesh. The apex court, led by a bench of Justices Surya Kant, Ujjal Bhuyan, and N Kotiswar Singh, issued a bailable warrant against the complainant advocate, Daduram Shukla, and paused the arrest of Usha Mishra, highlighting the lack of evidence against her.

Criticizing the Allahabad High Court for denying anticipatory bail to Mishra, the Supreme Court questioned the procedural approach taken in the case. The justices remarked that the high court's order was passed casually, overlooking Mishra's lack of involvement in the original transaction. They have directed the Lucknow police to produce the original FIR records for scrutiny.

The Supreme Court's decision underscores concerns over misuse of legal processes, as evidenced by the allegations against Shukla for attempting to evade notice. The court has stayed Mishra's arrest ahead of an October 8 hearing, reinforcing its intent to scrutinize the circumstances surrounding the 2023 FIR.

(With inputs from agencies.)