- The case dates back to 2010, when Ajay Singh arrived at Raja Bhoj Airport in Bhopal to board a flight to Delhi
- A powdery substance found in the bag was treated as a narcotic, and Ajay Singh was arrested
- He later approached the court, arguing that he had been wrongly imprisoned because of a flawed investigation
The Jabalpur High Court has ordered Rs 10 lakh compensation for a software engineer from Gwalior who spent 57 days in jail after airport authorities wrongly identified amchur powder (dried mango powder) in his bag as a narcotic substance.
The case dates back to 2010, when Ajay Singh arrived at Raja Bhoj Airport in Bhopal to board a flight to Delhi. During the security check, airport screening equipment triggered an alert when his bag passed through the detection system.
A powdery substance found in the bag was treated as a suspected narcotic, and Ajay Singh was taken into custody. The security personnel stationed at the airport relied on the machine alert and treated the recovered substance as a banned drug.
Ajay Singh was arrested on serious charges linked to narcotics and sent to jail. It was only after a forensic examination, 57 days later, that the substance was confirmed to be ordinary amchur powder used in cooking. He was subsequently released.
16-Year Legal Battle Ends In Compensation Order
Ajay Singh later approached the court, arguing that he had been wrongly imprisoned because of a flawed investigation and over-reliance on a machine reading. After a legal battle lasting 16 years, the Jabalpur High Court ruled in his favour.
A single-judge bench held that imprisoning an innocent citizen for such a prolonged period amounted to a violation of fundamental rights. The court directed the Madhya Pradesh government and the concerned department to pay Rs 10 lakh in compensation.
While delivering the verdict, the High Court raised concerns about investigative procedures and the use of technical systems without proper verification.
The court observed that technical errors in machines are possible and said agencies cannot rely solely on automated alerts without conducting proper checks.
It also noted that shortcomings in systems or investigative processes should not result in innocent individuals losing their liberty.
