Begin typing your search...

File call on reconstituting police complaints authority: HC tells TN

The petitions were moved by several people including retired IPS officer AG Maourya. The petitioners submitted that as per the SC directions, the state-level police complaints authority should be headed by a retired judge of the Madras HC and the district-level committees should be headed by the judicial officers.

File call on reconstituting police complaints authority: HC tells TN
X
Madras High Court

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Thursday directed the State government to reveal its stand on Friday about reconstituting the police complaints authority in tune with the 2016 directions of the Supreme Court.

“Take the instruction from the government and file its decision before the HC in a day whether or not the police complaints authority could be reconstituted in line with the SC guidelines,” the first bench comprising Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice N Mala observed.

The bench made this observation passed the direction on hearing a batch of writ petitions. The petitioners sought directions from the court to the government to constitute the police complaints authority as per the guidelines sent to the State governments by the Apex Court in the year 2016.

The petitions were moved by several people including retired IPS officer AG Maourya. The petitioners submitted that as per the SC directions, the state-level police complaints authority should be headed by a retired judge of the Madras HC and the district-level committees should be headed by the judicial officers.

“The state had constituted the authority which was headed by the home secretary. The DGP and other higher police officials are members of the state police authority. The district-level police complaints authority was formed with the chairmanship of the district Collector and the district superintendent of police and other policemen as the members. This is absolutely against the directions of the Supreme Court, ” the petitioners submitted.

On recording these submissions, Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari expressed dissatisfaction over the act of the state government for not adhering to the directions passed by the Apex Court. “If one is complaining against the DGP, who will probe the complaint. Will the DGP probe the complaint filed against him, ” the CJ made this as an oral observation.

He further stated that if the state is not ready to reconstitute the authority in tune with the SC directions, the HC has no other option than by passing an order.

The matter is to be heard again on Friday.

Are you in Chennai? Then click here to get our newspaper at your doorstep!

Visit news.dtnext.in to explore our interactive epaper!

Download the DT Next app for more exciting features!

Click here for iOS

Click here for Android

DTNEXT Bureau
Next Story