Allahabad High Court Rejects Plea Seeking 24-Hour Online Upload of Charge Sheets by UP Police

The Allahabad High Court on January 5, 2026, dismissed a public interest litigation seeking mandatory online publication of charge sheets filed by police across Uttar Pradesh.

The PIL, filed in 2020 by Mohd. Irfan Siddiqui, sought directions to the state government to upload every charge sheet prepared by investigating officers on the official UP Police website within 24 hours of completion of investigation. The petitioner had also sought a direction that certified copies of charge sheets be supplied to accused persons or their representatives within 24 hours of an application being made.

A division bench of Justice Rajan Roy and Justice Abdhesh Kumar Chaudhary noted that the petition had remained pending for several years and that despite a counter affidavit being filed by the State, no rejoinder affidavit was placed on record by the petitioner even after a specific order passed on December 17, 2025. Court also recorded that none appeared on behalf of the petitioner at the time of hearing.

Opposing the plea, the State government argued that there is no legal requirement mandating police authorities to upload charge sheets on a public platform. It was further contended that uploading charge sheets online would amount to interference in the judicial process, as charge sheets are filed before the competent court and are governed by statutory procedures under the Criminal Procedure Code.

The State relied heavily on a recent Supreme Court judgment in Saurav Das vs Union of India and Others (2023), where an identical prayer seeking free public access to charge sheets and final reports was rejected. The Supreme Court in that case had examined the scope of Sections 173 and 207 of the CrPC and clarified that copies of charge sheets and related documents are required to be furnished only to the accused and not to the general public.

Quoting extensively from the Supreme Court judgment, the high court noted that a conjoint reading of Sections 173 and 207 of the CrPC makes it clear that the investigating agency is statutorily obligated to supply the charge sheet and relied-upon documents only to the accused. Placing such material in the public domain, the Supreme Court had warned, could violate the rights of the accused, victims, and even the investigating agency.

The bench also took note of the Supreme Court’s finding that charge sheets cannot be treated as “public documents” under Section 74 of the Evidence Act. The apex court had clarified that documents forming part of police investigation records fall within the category of private documents and therefore cannot be demanded as a matter of right by third parties.

Further, the Supreme Court had rejected reliance on the Right to Information Act, holding that charge sheets and accompanying documents do not fall within the categories of information that public authorities are required to disclose suo motu under Section 4 of the RTI Act.

In light of these binding legal principles, the Allahabad High Court held that the relief sought by the petitioner could not be granted. Accordingly, court dismissed the writ petition.

Case Title: Mohd.Irfan Siddiqui vs. State Of U.P.Through Secy. Home And Anr.

Judgment Date: January 5, 2026

Bench: Justice Rajan Roy and Justice Abdhesh Kumar Chaudhary