India, April 24 -- The Bombay High Court has directed the state government to pay Rs.50,000 each in compensation to a lawyer and an ex-serviceman who were handcuffed by police, observing that the act amounted to unwarranted humiliation and a violation of their dignity.

A division bench of justices Urmila Joshi-Phalke and Nivedita Mehta held that law enforcement authorities must uphold not only legal procedure but also the rights and dignity of individuals. "Those entrusted with administering the law owe a duty not just to the accused or the victim, but to the state and society at large," the court said, adding that such incidents erode public confidence in the criminal justice system.

The court ordered the compensation to be paid within...