'This is gunda gardi': Uttarakhand HC tears into police over detention of leader backing Sonam Wangchuk

The Uttarakhand High Court sharply criticized state police for detaining Prabhat Dhyani, president of the Uttarakhand Parivartan Party, as he traveled to New Delhi to join activist Sonam Wangchuk's "Sansad Chalo" march. The court questioned the legal grounds for the detention and the police's actions.

A bench of Justices Ravindra Maithani and Siddhartha Saha directed the Uttarakhand government to explain the legal basis for Dhyani's July 19 detention. The government informed the court that Dhyani had since been released. The court expressed strong displeasure, with remarks like, "What are you doing in this country? Are you here to protect the image of government or constitutional right of individuals? The way police is behaving is absurd!"

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What are you doing in this country? Are you here to protect the image of government or constitutional right of individuals? The way police is behaving is absurd!

The court also questioned the state's jurisdiction, observing, "Section 144 offence toh wahan (Delhi) commit hoga… what jurisdiction did you have here (Uttarakhand)… This is Gunda Gardi!" According to a habeas corpus petition, Dhyani was detained by Ramnagar Police at Rishikesh railway station while en route to Delhi to participate in the protest rally. The petition alleged that Dhyani's family was not informed of his whereabouts after his detention, leading to a night-long search.

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Section 144 offence toh wahan (Delhi) commit hoga… what jurisdiction did you have here (Uttarakhand)… This is Gunda Gardi!