The Indore Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court has quashed the suspension of a police officer who led a late-night raid on an alleged illegal gambling operation at a farmhouse linked to a senior IAS officer. The Court held that the suspension appeared “arbitrary, colorable, and vindictive,” observing that no material was placed on record to justify such action against the officer.
Background of the Case
The case was filed by Lokendera Singh Hihore, a 2007-batch Sub Inspector who was serving as SHO of Manpur Police Station in Indore district. According to the petition, the officer received intelligence on the night of March 10, 2026, about large-scale gambling activities at a farmhouse in Gram Avlipura known as “Kothi Niwas.”
The Court noted that the officer conducted a raid after obtaining a search warrant and recovered cash, mobile phones, and vehicles from the spot. More than 20 persons were allegedly found gambling during the operation.
The petition further claimed that after the raid, pressure was exerted on the SHO to either avoid registering the FIR or change the location of the incident because the farmhouse belonged to a serving IAS officer. However, the FIR was registered mentioning the actual place of occurrence, following which the SHO was suspended the very next morning.
The State government opposed the petition and argued that the suspension was lawful and issued in contemplation of a departmental enquiry. The State contended that the officer failed to prevent illegal activities in his jurisdiction and did not effectively gather intelligence despite repeated directions from senior officers.
The government also argued that the writ petition should not be entertained because the officer had an alternative statutory remedy of appeal under service rules.
Justice Jai Kumar Pillai examined the suspension order and found serious inconsistencies in the State’s reasoning.
The Court observed that the very basis of the suspension was contradicted by the facts on record because the officer had in fact acted on intelligence inputs and successfully conducted the raid.
“The justification hinges entirely on a sweeping, generalized allegation of a failure to gather intelligence, which is factually contradicted by the petitioner's own successful intelligence-based raid,” the Court noted.
The Bench further said there was no prima facie material showing grave misconduct, indiscipline, or refusal to obey orders.
The Court also took note of the petitioner’s allegation that pressure had been exerted upon him to change the crime scene in official records. Significantly, the Court pointed out that the State failed to specifically deny this allegation in its reply.
“It is striking and surprising that such a serious allegation of malice leveled against the respondents has neither been specifically nor categorically rebutted,” the Court observed.
The Bench further criticized the suspension of another officer who was reportedly on sanctioned medical leave at the relevant time, calling it an example of non-application of mind.
Allowing the writ petition, the High Court set aside the suspension order dated March 11, 2026, issued by the Superintendent of Police, Indore Rural.
The Court held that the suspension could not be sustained in law and quashed all consequential actions arising solely from the suspension order. However, liberty was granted to the authorities to proceed in accordance with law if required in future.
Case Details
Case Title: Lokendera Singh Hihore v. State of Madhya Pradesh & Others
Case Number: W.P. No. 10092 of 2026
Judge: Justice Jai Kumar Pillai
Decision Date: May 7, 2026
