Nine Years After Chargesheet, Bombay HC Orders Action Against Thane Police for Grave Lapse

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday directed the Thane Commissioner of Police to initiate strict disciplinary proceedings against police officers for failing to file a chargesheet in a criminal case for nine years. The bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice Ravindra V Ghuge and Justice Gautam A Ankhad, described the delay as a 'grave lapse' by the police.

The case pertains to an offence registered at Narpoli police station in Bhiwandi, Thane district, in 2016. The chargesheet was prepared in August 2017 but never reached the trial court. In December 2025, the High Court was informed that the chargesheet sent to the magistrate court in Bhiwandi could not be traced, and permission was sought to reconstruct the record.

During the hearing, the state government lawyer submitted a case status report from the principal district and sessions judge of Thane in a sealed envelope. The court noted that the report confirmed the chargesheet had not been filed before the competent court. The police claimed the chargesheet was forwarded through a messenger, but the Station House Officer did not ensure its delivery or record evidence of filing.

'What kind of a police department are you? You prepare a chargesheet and you do not file it in court,' Acting Chief Justice Ghuge remarked orally. The High Court disposed of the plea after the state lawyer assured that the chargesheet would be delivered within 48 hours.

The court ordered the Thane Police Commissioner to initiate appropriate disciplinary proceedings against the officers responsible for the lapse, taking a strict view. A compliance report on the action taken is to be submitted by December 1.