Bihar police mistakes 'distress warrant' for arrest warrant; puts a trader in jail

Guwahati, December 3, 2018:

"One's lack of knowledge can put someone else in trouble," and this is absolutely true of the Bihar police as their lack of knowledge of English has put a sweetmeat trader behind the bars.

Neeraj Kumar from Jehanabad district was arressted on November 25 and produced before a family court in Patna next day.

The trader was fighting a divorce case. The cops goofed up the word 'warrant' that was written on top of a court order for an 'arrest warrant' and was sent to spend a night in lock-up. Although the issue took place on November 25, it was reported only on Sunday.

The court order actually directed the police to take steps 'to assess and send to the court details of his immovable properties, if Neeraj failed to provide Rs 2,500 maintenance per month to his wife Renu Devi,' said Jehanabad ASP Pankaj Kumar.

According to Yashwant Kumar Sharma, a family court lawyer, such order issued by court is called "distress warrant," a directive to assess the property details of a husband.

It may be mentioned that Kumar's wife filed two dowry cases against him following which he filed a divorce petition in 2014.