Patna: A local court in India’s Bihar state ordered a policeman take his uniform off in full public view after a teenager was brought to court in handcuffs.
The officer stood in the court dressed in a vest until a member of the court’s staff gave him a shirt to put on.
The bizarre incident took place in the Bhagalpur district court on Monday.
The teenager was accused of kidnapping a girl with the intention to marry her.
According to a complaint registered with the police, a 13-year-old girl was going for lessons on August 9 when the accused kidnapped her at gunpoint.
A case was registered at the Sanhoula police station in Bhagalpur district.
Based on the complaint registered by the victim’s father, police arrested the accused teenager on Sunday.
The next day, on Monday, he was produced in the court of additional district and sessions judge Shivanand Mishra.
Seeing the teenager in handcuffs, the judge asked the officer if he had any knowledge of law.
Before the policeman could say anything, the judge ordered that his uniform be instantly taken off.
Even before the court staff could implement the judge’s order, the policeman himself took off his uniform and stood half-naked in his vest.
In the meantime, one of the court employees offered him a shirt, which the officer later put on while apologising to the court.
The judge later relented after the policeman said he brought the teenager in handcuffs since the accused was recorded as an adult in the police complaint.
Subsequently, the judge ordered for medical examination of the accused to determine his real age.
The judge warned of severe action if the accused was found having given wrong details about his age to the court.
The accused had told the judge that he was a teenager, mentioning his date of birth age as June 4, 2000.
