CB-CID gets powers to probe dept complaints

CHENNAI: The State Home Department has brought in fresh rules into the Tamil Nadu Police (Reforms) Act, 2013, which outlines the duties of a State Security Commission, (yet to be set up) and various police establishment boards to decide transfer and promotions besides setting up of a police complaint division under CB-CID, to handle complaints within the department.

According to the gazette notification issued recently, the police complaint division under CB-CID will handle all the complaints from the departmental staff. The DGP or ADGP, CB-CID, should entrust the complaints referred to police complaint division for inquiry by the state/district police complaints authority to the field units of CB-CID to carry out investigation. The division should complete the probe within six months from receiving the complaint and send the report.

The DGP or the ADGP, CB-CID is also allowed to engage retired police personnel from police departments or from other departments if required. The ADGP should get approval from DGP, who in turn must get approval from the government.

“The new rules follow the SC order on the issue. The State Security Commission will have to be set up now. Hope everything does not remain on paper,” a senior police officer said.

The fresh rules insist that after setting up, the State Security Commission should meet at least once in a year besides allowing the commission to constitute an expert committee with experts familiar with the functioning of the police or sociological or criminological or public administrative studies.

The Police Establishment Board will have a state committee with three additional director generals of police from law and order, administration and intelligence to formulate transparent and equitable transfer and posting policies and calendar for transfers and posting for intra district, intra-range, intra-zone, inter- battalion, inter-jurisdictional, inter-battalion and special units. The state committee should also make recommendations relating to promotion of officers in the rank of inspectors.

Similarly establishments committees will be formed at zonal level, range level and also one for Chennai city. Separately zonal committees for special units, range committees for armed police should be formed to discuss and finalise transfer and postings.