The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the Bombay High Court’s order directing action against police personnel who investigated a lawyer accused of illegally possessing call detail records of actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s wife, PTI reported. The top court also issued a notice to the lawyer, Rizwan Siddiqui, and asked him to file a reply within four weeks.
In January, the Thane police arrested three private detectives, one of whom had reportedly helped Rizwan Siddiqui obtain the call detail records. In March, the police summoned Nawazuddin Siddiqui, his wife and the lawyer for questioning. Rizwan Siddiqui was arrested soon after, but on March 21, the Bombay High Court said that the police had acted in a “high-handed manner” in arresting him and ordered his release.
The court also asked senior officials of the Thane Police and the Maharashtra Home Department to inquire into the police personnel’s actions.
On Monday, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi and advocate Nishant Katneshwar appeared for the state government in the Supreme Court, and secured a stay against the High Court order from a bench of judges Dipak Misra and AM Khanwilkar.
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