Ludhiana: Arrest illegal, release social media influencer, court tells police

During the proceedings, the court noted that the police did not issue the mandatory notice under Section 41(A) of the CrPC after registering the FIR

A local court on Wednesday came down heavily on the Division number 7 police for “flouting” the mandatory arrest procedure as it declared the arrest of social media influencer Vishal Kapoor illegal, ordering his immediate release.

The FIR was registered on the complaint of Sanjay Sharma, who alleged that the influencer misused a video to threaten and extort money from him (Representational Image)

Kapoor had been arrested a day earlier on charges of extortion and blackmail, but the police case collapsed in court when glaring procedural lapses surfaced during the hearing. Advocate Kunal Vohra, counsel for Kapoor, told the court that despite arresting his client, the police had failed to follow the due process of law and had even sought five days’ police remand on the pretext of recovering money allegedly extorted from victims.

During the proceedings, the court noted that the police did not issue the mandatory notice under Section 41(A) of the CrPC after registering the FIR. More damagingly, the investigating officer failed to convincingly justify the grounds for arrest, drawing sharp observations and stern remarks from the court. In view of these lapses, the court ordered Kapoor’s release on notice, while directing him to cooperate during the ongoing investigation.

According to the complaint, Kapoor visited Sharma’s tea stall claiming to be a journalist. When an intoxicated man present at the stall attempted to flee on seeing him, Kapoor allegedly caught hold of the man, brought him back and recorded a video in which the man claimed that he purchased drugs from the tea vendor. Sharma alleged that Kapoor then used the video to blackmail him, falsely accusing him of selling drugs and extorted ₹10,000 from him in exchange for deleting the clip.

The complainant further alleged that Kapoor later intimidated a fish vendor, Ramdhari Sahni, in Bihari Colony and extorted ₹12,400 from him as well. Despite assurances that the video would be deleted, Kapoor allegedly uploaded it on social media a few days later.

Sharma also claimed that on January 6, Kapoor threatened him again, allegedly saying he would get him abducted. After that, Sharma approached the police and lodged a formal complaint.

Based on the complaint, the Division number 7 police registered an FIR under Sections 308(2) (extortion) and 351(2) (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and arrested Kapoor. A brief commotion was also reported outside the tea stall on Monday night following the incident.

However, the police action suffered a severe blow in court, exposing what legal observers termed as “casual and illegal” policing. Despite repeated attempts, Inspector Gagandeep Singh, SHO of Division number 7 police station, was unavailable for comment after the court’s stinging observations.

This is not the first time the Ludhiana police have faced judicial censure over illegal arrests. On December 21, 2025, a local court had ordered the release of Congress leader Inderjit Singh Indi, terming his arrest illegal and pointing out serious procedural violations. Indi, a close associate of former cabinet minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu and husband of Ward number 61 Congress councillor Parminder Kaur, had been arrested by the Division number 8 police a day earlier on charges of attempted murder and obstructing a municipal corporation employee.