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A man in Bihar, India was imprisoned overnight after police failed to understand the warrant for him, issued in English.
Patna family court “severely reprimanded” the authorities who were involved in the blunder, as reported by Gulf News India on Sunday, Dec. 2. Meanwhile, the victim, Neeraj Kumar, was immediately released.
Apparently, when Kumar’s wife, Renu Devi, filed torture cases against him, along with a petition for divorce, the court issued a legal notice for Kumar to pay a monthly maintenance amount of 2,500 rupees (around P1,800). The court also instructed the Makhdumpur police to submit a report about Kumar’s property.
Kumar was serving customers in his shop last week when the police arrived, the report said. He was arrested with the authorities citing the warrant issued by the court.
Kumar realized the police officers mistook the “warrant to enforce payment of maintenance” for a “warrant of arrest.” When they arrived in the police station, Kumar tried to explain what the legal notice was for, to no avail.
The police remained firm in their belief that the paper was for Kumar’s arrest, the report stated. The victim asked the officers to talk to his lawyers but they refused his request.
Kumar spent the night in jail. The day after his incarceration, the police brought him to the court where they soon realized their mistake. Kate Matriano/JB
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