The Supreme Court strongly criticized a police officer from Uttar Pradesh’s Pratapgarh district for openly defying its order and assaulting a petitioner despite clear directions against any coercive action. The incident took place at Kandhai Police Station, where Station House Officer (SHO) Gulaab Singh Sonkar not only disobeyed the Supreme Court’s protection order but also insulted the judiciary in abusive language.
According to the contempt petition heard by a bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria, the petitioner was dragged from his workplace, arrested, and beaten by the SHO on April 23, 2025, even though the Court had earlier granted him protection on March 28. When the petitioner showed a copy of the Supreme Court’s order, the SHO allegedly said in Hindi, “Main kisi Supreme Court ka aadesh nahin manunga, mai tumhara sara High Court aur Supreme Court nikal dunga aaj,” meaning, “I will not obey the order of any Supreme Court; I will get your entire High Court and Supreme Court removed today.”
The Court noted that such behavior was an outright insult to the rule of law. Earlier, it had directed the Uttar Pradesh Home Department to conduct an inquiry through an officer not below the rank of Additional Director General of Police (ADGP). The inquiry report confirmed the SHO’s willful disobedience.
Taking a stern view, the bench observed, “There is prima facie willful disobedience of the order of the Court by the first respondent, which requires to be dealt with iron hands. Such conduct cannot be tolerated under the guise of a police uniform.”
The Court was prepared to take strict action against the SHO but decided to defer its order after the state government assured that immediate disciplinary action would be taken in light of the inquiry report. The Additional Advocate General informed the Court that the Home Department would act promptly and report back on the steps taken.
Accepting the government’s request for time, the bench ordered the case to be listed again on November 7, 2025. “The State Government would act immediately and apprise this Court of the action taken by the next date of hearing,” the order said.
