Supreme Court of India
Arun @ Deepak v. State of U.P.
Published on this website · Updated
Special Leave Petition (Criminal) No. 4859 of 2026
Citation: 2026 INSC 1150; reportable
Background
Background
In Arun @ Deepak, India’s Supreme Court ordered ₹6 lakh compensation after six years of undertrial detention built on an investigation unsupported by evidence.
Legal questions
Legal questions
What relief was warranted after six years of undertrial detention in a prosecution unsupported by evidence?
Court holding
What the Court decided
The State must pay ₹6 lakh within one month for the exceptional investigative and prosecutorial failures that kept Arun in custody for six years. Delayed payment attracts interest at 18% per annum.
Final outcome
Final outcome
Special leave petition disposed of; Uttar Pradesh directed to pay ₹6 lakh within one month, with 18% annual interest on default. Judgment to be sent to the Director General of Police and Home Secretary of Uttar Pradesh.
Practical effect
What the decision means in practice
The State must pay ₹6 lakh within one month for the exceptional investigative and prosecutorial failures that kept Arun in custody for six years. Delayed payment attracts interest at 18% per annum.
This summary states the immediate effect recorded in the decision. The original judgment and the facts of the particular case remain controlling.
Key legal principles
Key legal principles
- Compensation followed exceptional investigative failures and six years of undertrial custody.
- The trial court had already acquitted Arun; the Supreme Court was considering his bail petition.
- Unproved electronic records, unidentified remains and unsupported recoveries did not establish the prosecution’s chain.
New judgment alerts
Follow this court or legal topic
Receive new judgments and analysis about Supreme Court of India, Criminal Law, Evidence by email.
Primary source
Original judgment and official source
This HTML summary does not replace the court record. Use the linked original judgment PDF or official court source to verify the exact text and directions.
Later treatment
Later treatment
Research tools
Use this judgment in your research
Copy a link to a specific part
Judgment text is provided for legal research and general information. Verify the official court record before relying on it in proceedings.
Related article
Related article
In Arun @ Deepak, India’s Supreme Court ordered ₹6 lakh compensation after six years of undertrial detention built on an investigation unsupported by evidence.
Read the related article →