TG HC jails ACP for one month; defying arrest protection order

The Telangana High Court has sentenced Saroornagar ACP A Krishnaiah to one month in jail for arresting a hospitalised accused in a dowry death case, despite its restraining order. The court also fined him Rs. 2,000 for wilfully disobeying its order. Justice Kalasikam Sujana passed the order on September 18. The contempt case was filed by Katta Vamsi Krishna against Krishnaiah and SI V Maraiah.

The HC had granted Krishna interim protection from arrest on April 21, 2026, in criminal petition 6109. It extended the protection on April 23 and again on April 27. According to the petitioner, he was still arrested on April 28 and produced before the jurisdictional magistrate for remand. His counsel then brought the HC orders to the magistrate’s notice.

The magistrate rejected the remand and ordered his release. Krishnaiah told the court he had gone ahead with the arrest due to “pressure” on him; he did not know the protection had been extended. The police argued that neither the petitioner nor his counsel had given a copy of the April 27 order before the arrest. He tendered an unconditional apology and said the violation was neither intentional nor wilful. The court rejected these submissions.

Justice Sujana noted that Krishnaiah already knew about the first order protecting the petitioner. Once told that the protection had been extended, he should have checked the case status with the public prosecutor or on the HC website.

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