The Bombay High Court has directed action against police personnel involved in framing a Mumbai-based businessman in a fake extortion case, observing that they should be suspended and a magistrate who facilitated his detention should be held accountable.

The court also imposed a cost of Rs 5 lakh on the Maharashtra government after declaring the 2017 arrest of businessman Bipin Agrawal illegal. Agrawal was kept in custody for 26 days, which the court held amounted to unlawful detention.

The case concerned a flat worth Rs 1.64 crore in a redevelopment project in Andheri East. The court observed that the police had abused their authority to favour the developer and act against Agrawal.

It noted that a sub-inspector had misused the police machinery to pressure Agrawal before registering the false extortion case. The court further observed that the police prepared documents containing false details to portray the businessman as a criminal.

The magistrate had permitted the police to take Agrawal into custody in the extortion case. The High Court directed that action be taken against the magistrate, holding that the circumstances warranted accountability for the role played in the businessman’s unlawful detention.