HC grants liberty to litigants to approach SC for challenging TNPCA

CHENNAI: Observing that the Apex Court is monitoring the police complaints authorities, the Madras High Court on Friday directed the litigants challenging the constitution of Tamil Nadu Police Complaints Authority (TNPCA) to approach the Supreme Court for relief.

The first bench, consisting of, Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice N Mala passed the directions on disposing of the petitions filed by former police officer AG Mourya and advocate Saravanan Dhakshinamoorthy.

The petitioners prayed for a direction to the State government to reconstitute the TN police complaints authority in tune with the guidelines of the Apex Court.

The petitioners claimed that the State had appointed DGP and ADGP as the members of the State police complaints authority and the Superintendent of Polices are the members of the district police complaints authorities which is against the direction of the Supreme Court.

As per the guidelines of the SC, the retired judges and judicial officers should head the complaints authority and not the police officers.

However, R Shunmugasundaram, Advocate-General, submitted to the court that the Supreme Court has been monitoring the police complaints authorities and it has been hearing cases in this connection. The AG further noted that since the SC has taken the issue, the HC could not entertain the same.

Recording the submission, the bench disposed of the matter and granted liberty to the petitioners to approach the Apex Court to get a remedy.