Bareilly:
The police in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly were on the hunt for a woman named Munni. They caught Munni, but there was a catch. She was Munni, but not the Munni they were looking for.
The incident took place in Bareilly’s Bandiya village. In 2020, a local court issued a non-bailable warrant against Munni, wife of Chhote, in a case of electricity theft. On April 13 this year, police arrived in the village to execute that warrant. But instead of confirming the identity of the accused, they arrested a different woman: Munni Devi, wife of Janaki Prasad.
Her only fault – she was also named Munni.
Without cross-checking details such as her husband’s name or any personal identifiers, police sent Munni Devi to jail. She spent four days in custody for a crime she had no connection to. All the while, the actual accused, Munni, wife of Chhote, remained missing.
After four days of wrongful incarceration, the police realised their error and released Munni Devi. No formal apology was issued. Instead, her family was reportedly asked to remain silent and avoid speaking to the media.
Munni Devi confirmed there are indeed two women named Munni in the village.
Further investigation into the case is underway.
