The Supreme Court of India has directed the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) for Ernakulam, Kerala, to appear before it on May 15, 2026, to explain the delay in filing a First Information Report (FIR) related to a complaint of outraging the modesty of a woman from a Scheduled category. This order was issued by a Bench comprising Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Justice R. Mahadevan in response to a special leave petition challenging a Kerala High Court's decision to deny anticipatory bail to the petitioner, who is accused in a separate assault and criminal trespass case. The court criticized the state's affidavit as “thoroughly unsatisfactory” and noted that the complaint was received by the ACP on January 8, 2026, yet no FIR was registered. The incumbent ACP stated that an FIR has now been registered and a probe initiated, and he confirmed his intention to comply with the Supreme Court's order. The court also extended interim protection for the petitioner until the next hearing date.