Gauhati High Court: Mizoram Police Pulled Up for Revealing Murder Probe Details

The Gauhati High Court recently pulled up Mizoram authorities over a police press release that disclosed sensitive details of an ongoing criminal investigation and exposed a suspect’s family to public retaliation [C Laltanpuii v The State of Mizoram & Ors.].By way of an order passed on August 27, Justice Rajesh Mazumdar declared the press release issued by the Mizoram Police on January 27 to be in violation of the prescribed Police Manual for Media Briefing. "The impugned press release is declared to violate the protocol laid down in the Police Manual for media briefing. The authority who had issued the aforesaid press release shall cause the same to be recalled forthwith and in any case, within a period of 7 days from the date of receipt of a certified copy of this order," directed the Court.The Court also directed weekly monitoring of the investigation into the mob violence that followed.Justice Rajesh Mazumdar The case concerned the death of a young woman whose body was found near a football playground in December, 2025. During the investigation, police suspected the husband of petitioner, who died three days later after falling from the first floor of his home.In its January press release, the police identified the deceased-husband as the principal accused and disclosed sensitive details from the ongoing investigation, including suspected bloodstains in his vehicle, call-detail records, forensic findings and personal details about the victim, including her pregnancy.