A bureaucratic "typing error" has resulted in a man being jailed under India's stringent National Security Act (NSA), prompting the High Court to levy a fine on the responsible collector. Sushant Bais, a young man from Budwa village in Shahdol district, Madhya Pradesh, was wrongly detained for over a year due to a mix-up in names. The Madhya Pradesh High Court intervened to release him in September 2025.
The Shahdol district collector, Kedar Singh, has been fined ₹2 lakh for "non-application of mind" in the matter. Singh admitted to mixing up names while reviewing and signing separate orders. The fine will be paid to Sushant Bais, who was wrongly imprisoned. Singh signed a document that wrongly identified Sushant as an NSA detainee instead of Nirajkant Dwivedi, who was the intended subject of the order. Sushant had been involved in a minor dispute that had already been settled when he was taken into custody.
Justices Vivek Agarwal and A.K. Singh of the High Court division bench issued a contempt of court notice to the collector after Sushant's father, Hiramani Bais, filed a petition stating that his son had been unfairly imprisoned on September 9, 2024. The court also instructed the Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh to take action against the Additional Chief Secretary of Home for endorsing the collector's order. The court stated that the state government also demonstrated a lack of due diligence. The Additional Chief Secretary of Home attributed the error to a "typographical mistake" made by a clerk, who has since been issued a show-cause notice.
The incident has sparked outrage and raised concerns about administrative oversight and the potential for misuse of the NSA. The NSA allows for preventive detention in cases where authorities believe an individual poses a threat to national security or public order. However, critics argue that the law is often used arbitrarily and can be easily abused. This case highlights the importance of accuracy and thoroughness in administrative processes, especially when dealing with laws that can severely impact an individual's liberty. It also underscores the judiciary's role in safeguarding citizens' rights and holding public officials accountable for their actions.
