HC warns police against providing wrong information on orderlies

“Though the status report filed by the police would prima facie give the details, certain details are misleading or suppressed. Further, certain queries such as fixing of police-people ratio have not been answered,” said Justice N Kirubakaran in his interim order. 

Pointing out that the status report would show that the number of police personnel deserting the police force has increased to 1039 in 2017 from 608 in 2008, the court said this increase showed the gravity of problems faced by the personnel, which need to be addressed very urgently. 

“Similarly, for the past 10 years, about 296 police personnel had committed suicide and about 3032 police personnel had died, while in service, for various reasons,” the court stressed.

Even while conceding the four-week time sought by Advocate General Vijay Narayan to reply on the formation of the commission to look into their grievances and service conditions, Justice Kirubakaran asked the state to explain why it should not fix definite working hours for the police force. This, the judge felt, kept the police personnel away from families, leading to frustration and mental disturbance, which was the prime reason for violence and corruption. 

The fresh queries put by the judge included details of the number of vehicles and police drivers were at the disposal of serving and retired higher officers and family members. 

The judge also sought to know whether orderlies were employed at the residences of political bosses and functionaries, and when the GO, which provides for appointment of residential office assistants to IPS officers in the grade of super time scale, would be implemented despite the order being issued on October 31, 2012.