The Telangana High Court delivered a stern rebuke to the police department on Monday over its handling of a domestic violence case involving a Singapore-based couple of Indian origin. The court questioned the procedures followed in issuing look-out circulars (LOCs) against the foreign nationals and criticized the use of messaging platforms for serving notices despite Supreme Court prohibitions.
Airport Detention and Court Intervention
The Singaporean couple were detained at Chennai International Airport recently while attempting to return to their home country. However, following Monday's hearing before Justice Anil Kumar Jukanti, the court permitted the couple to travel abroad while allowing the legal proceedings to continue.
The case originated from a domestic violence complaint registered at the women police station in Hyderabad's East Zone in February 2024. Justice Jukanti was hearing a petition filed by the couple seeking to quash both the LOC and the case registered against them.
Judicial Scrutiny of Police Procedures
Justice Anil Kumar Jukanti posed sharp questions to the police department, asking "How can you issue LOCs without considering the aspects of bilateral agreements for those with foreign citizenship?" The judge emphasized that the case highlights serious procedural lapses in police functioning.
Referring to established Supreme Court precedents, Justice Jukanti observed that "such ill-advised actions tend to bring the reputation of the country to disrepute in the international fora" and constitute a breach of human rights guarantees. The court specifically questioned whether police would arrest someone merely for not responding to notices under CrPC (now BNSS).
Violation of Supreme Court Guidelines
The judge emphasized that the apex court had already ruled against issuing notices through social media and messaging platforms, yet Hyderabad police continued this practice. Justice Jukanti described the airport detention experience as "very frightening" since detainees are not even allowed to make phone calls, noting that officials would understand the impact only if they experienced such situations themselves.
Justice Jukanti stressed that issuing an LOC contrary to established rules obstructs the fundamental right to travel and violates constitutional guarantees. He highlighted the need for strict compliance with guidelines, particularly when dealing with foreign citizens and international bilateral agreements.
The court noted that among the 11 accused in the domestic violence case, no substantial evidence was found against the petitioner-couple. Justice Jukanti reiterated Supreme Court rulings requiring preliminary investigation and factual verification before making arrests in domestic violence cases.
The judge directed police to follow established guidelines before issuing orders and warned that any violations could be recorded in their service records. The matter has been adjourned for one week while the police department reviews its procedures.
