Supreme Court rules on informal detention scrutiny

The Supreme Court has ruled that the 24-hour period for producing a detained person before a magistrate begins at the moment of detention. This decision aims to curb police abuse and reaffirms citizens' right to liberty. The ruling came in a case involving four individuals detained in a narcotics-related incident in Tripura, where their arrests were recorded a day after their detention. The court criticized the use of 'informal detention' by police to bypass legal requirements, stating that this practice undermines Article 22(2) of the Constitution. The State's argument that the time between detention and arrest was spent on formalities was rejected by the apex court. This ruling is expected to impact how detentions are handled across India, ensuring that individuals are promptly presented before a magistrate.