HC dismisses PIL moved for uploading CB-CID FIRs on website

CHENNAI: The first bench of Madras High Court on Tuesday dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) which demanded the Tamil Nadu police to upload the First Information Reports (FIR) of the Crime Branch and Crime Investigation Department (CB-CID) on the State police’s Crime and Criminal Tracking Networking System (CCTNS) website.

The first bench of Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice N Mala dismissed the petition filed by advocate M Balaji aka Point Balaji. The petitioner sought direction to the police to disclose the CB-CID FIRs on the CCTNS website.

The judges dismissed the petition on the grounds that the petitioner did not file the details of the FIRs that should be uploaded on the website. The bench also cited the directions of the Supreme Court that advocates should not file PIL.

However, Balaji argued that in a direction of the Apex Court in the case of Youth Bar Association Vs Union of India, the top court ruled that FIRs can be uploaded on the websites exempting certain cases including child abuse, sexual offenses, and those pertaining to the national security and interest.

Meanwhile, the CJ observed that then the petitioner should approach the Supreme Court for relief and the case cannot be entertained in the HC. The bench dismissed the case.