The Jabalpur High Court has ordered ₹10 lakh compensation for a software engineer who spent 57 days in jail after airport authorities wrongly identified amchur powder in his bag as a narcotic substance.
The case involved Ajay Singh, a resident of Gwalior, who was arrested in 2010 after a security screening at Raja Bhoj Airport triggered an alert.
Amchur Powder Mistaken For Narcotics
According to the case details, Ajay Singh was travelling to Delhi when airport screening equipment flagged a powdery substance in his baggage.
Security personnel treated the material as a suspected narcotic substance based on the machine alert and took him into custody. He was subsequently booked under serious narcotics-related charges and sent to jail.
However, after a forensic examination conducted 57 days later, the substance was confirmed to be ordinary amchur powder — dried mango powder commonly used in Indian cooking.
Following the report, Ajay Singh was released.
16-Year Legal Battle
After his release, Ajay Singh approached the court, arguing that he had been wrongfully imprisoned because investigators relied excessively on a machine-generated alert without proper verification.
After a prolonged legal battle lasting 16 years, the Jabalpur High Court ruled in his favour.
A single-judge bench observed that keeping an innocent citizen behind bars for nearly two months amounted to a violation of fundamental rights.
The court directed the Government of Madhya Pradesh and the concerned authorities to pay compensation of ₹10 lakh.
Court Questions Reliance On Machines
While delivering the judgment, the High Court expressed concern over investigative procedures and excessive dependence on technical systems without independent verification.
The court noted that machine errors are possible and agencies cannot rely solely on automated alerts while making serious accusations involving criminal offences.
It stressed the need for proper checks and human verification before depriving a person of liberty.
The judgment also highlighted that flaws in systems or investigative methods cannot become grounds for violating the rights of innocent individuals.
Case Raises Questions Over Airport Screening Procedures
The incident has reignited discussions around the reliability of airport detection systems and the safeguards required before invoking stringent criminal laws.
Legal observers say the ruling reinforces the principle that investigative agencies must balance security concerns with constitutional protections and due process.