The Supreme Court today has declined to grant directions sought by the petitioner alleging a pattern of successive arrests by investigative agencies to prolong his custody.

The petitioner, a former IAS officer from Chhattisgarh, argued that whenever he was about to be released in one case, authorities would arrest him in another matter, effectively extending his incarceration. He urged the Court to direct the investigating agencies to take him into custody and interrogate him in all pending matters simultaneously.

However, the Bench expressed reservations about issuing such directions.

“Can the Court force an agency to arrest you? From the liberty paradigm, it would be dangerous for a court to enforce an arrest,” the Court observed.

The Court noted that if the petitioner apprehended arrest in other cases, the appropriate remedy was to seek anticipatory bail, and in matters where he was already arrested, to apply for regular bail.

Holding that the statutory remedies under criminal law were adequate, the Bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi disposed of the petition with liberty to the petitioner to approach the Chhattisgarh High Court in cases where he had not yet been granted bail.

The Court further requested the High Court to consider such bail applications on priority, preferably within two to four weeks, if filed.