Ludhiana, Jan. 7 -- A local court on Wednesday came down heavily on the Division number 7 police for "flouting" the mandatory arrest procedure as it declared the arrest of social media influencer Vishal Kapoor illegal, ordering his immediate release.

Kapoor had been arrested a day earlier on charges of extortion and blackmail, but the police case collapsed in court when glaring procedural lapses surfaced during the hearing. Advocate Kunal Vohra, counsel for Kapoor, told the court that despite arresting his client, the police had failed to follow the due process of law and had even sought five days' police remand on the pretext of recovering money allegedly extorted from victims.

During the proceedings, the court noted that the police di...