Allahabad High Court bars police from probing adult marriages and commercial activities

The Allahabad High Court ruled that police have no authority to investigate consensual adult marriages, directing that law‑enforcement focus solely on criminal matters. The Division Bench, led by Justice J.J. Munir and Justice Tarun Saxena, stated, “The police have no business in the matter to be nosy parkers. They ought to investigate crimes.”

In a related order, the Court instructed the Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police to launch an inquiry into a Ballia constable’s transport business and to initiate disciplinary proceedings against officials at Rasra Police Station. The bench, headed by Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal, warned that “police stations have become a place of commercial activities,” emphasizing the need to restore law‑and‑order functions.

Both judgments call for stricter oversight of police conduct in Uttar Pradesh, highlighting concerns over non‑criminal investigations and the misuse of police resources for personal business.