Stop deputing cops for private party’s protection sans need: Madras High Court

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has asked the State to withdraw unnecessary deployment of police security to private individuals as it overburdens police personnel, which eventually affects the general public.

We request the Director General of Police (DGP) ensure effective functioning of the criminal law system so as to win the confidence of ordinary citizens, said Justices SM Subramaniam and Justice M Jothiraman. This would greatly help the public lead their life peacefully, wrote the division bench.

The bench held that the police personnel are deployed unnecessarily to private individuals without any security threat. This should be avoided, and the unnecessary police deployment should be withdrawn, the court observed.

This unnecessary deployment of the police force is the reason for the lapses of duty towards the general public, owing to the unnecessary burden, the judges said. Police personnel couldn’t attend to the public-related work because of such unnecessary tasks, wrote the bench. Any compulsion on police force from any quarters on such issues should be dealt strictly, the HC noted. Optimum usage of police force for the service of the public is a Constitutional requirement, held the bench, asserting that police personnel cannot be forced by the higher executives, politicians or bureaucrats to do such unnecessary tasks.

The review committee set for the purposes must ascertain that no deployment is done for private individuals without any necessary, the court observed. This should be monitored periodically at district levels, which would strike a balance between the stressful nature of police work and ensure effective public service, wrote the bench.

The order comes in the backdrop of a habeas corpus petition moved by Gaja Lakshmi, wife of an A plus criminal ‘Pambu’ Nagaraj, assailing the detention order invoked on the offender. Nagaraj is booked in 26 cases dating back to 2014, 2015 and 2016.

Shocked by the long pending investigation against the history-sheeter, the court observed that “we cannot accept the unexplained delays in completing the investigation, filing charge sheets, and conducting trials. The criminal justice delivery system must gain confidence among the public.”

Further directed the DGP to file an affidavit regarding the lapses on the part of police conducting the investigation.

Pursuant to the order, additional public prosecutor (APP) R Muniyapparaj submitted a status report on behalf of DGP stating that periodical circular memorandums were issued to ensure the disposal of long pending cases.