New Delhi: Noting that there is no distinction between arrest and detention, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that the 24-hour deadline for producing a person before magistrate begins from moment s/he is detained.

The apex court ruled that a person detained beyond the permissible 24-hour window without being produced before a magistrate must be released forthwith.

"The view that 24 hours begin only from the formal arrest is contrary to the constitutional mandate of Article 22(2) and 56 of BNSS," the bench ruled.

Emphasizing that the calculation of the 24-hours should start from the moment a person is detained and thereby his/her liberty stands curtailed, the Supreme Court also ruled that no period can be excluded while computing the deadline, except the time necessary for journey from the place of arrest to the magistrate's court.

(With inputs from LiveLaw. This is a developing story. More details will be updated.)