SC criticises Bombay HC for bail to Nawaz’s lawyer

The Supreme Court allowed the Maharashtra Police to go ahead with its investigation against a lawyer who was illegally possessing call detail records (CDRs) of actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui's wife and criticised the Bombay HC for granting bail to the accused. A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud set aside the Bombay High Court verdict and said how could the HC entertain habeas corpus petition filed by his wife when the accused was in police custody in connection with a criminal case. “Suffice it to observe that since no writ of habeas corpus could be issued in the present case, the HC should have been loath to enter upon the merits of the arrest in absence of any challenge to the judicial order passed by the magistrate granting police custody till March 23, 2018,” the bench said. The HC had directed the Thane Police to release Rizwan, who was arrested on March 16 for allegedly having ordered illegal procurement of the CDR of actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui's wife and made scathing observations against the police officials concerned. The apex court said there was no need for the HC to pass remarks against police officials who were carrying out their duty as per the law