Guideliness for policeMR.JUSTICE A.D.JAGADISH CHANDIRA Crl.O.P.No.9354 of 2022

CORAM
THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE A.D.JAGADISH CHANDIRA
Crl.O.P.No.9354 of 2022

P.Vijayalakshmi … Petitioner
Vs.
1.The Commissioner of Police,
No.132, E.V.K.Sampath Road,
Vepery, Periyampet, Chennai 600 007.
2.The Assistant Commissioner of Police,
M-4, Redhills Police Station,
GNT Road, Redhills, Chennai 600 052.
3.The Inspector of Police, E-5, Sholavaram Police Station, Sholavaram, Chennai 600 067.
4.D.Sampathkumar … Respondents

PRAYER: The Criminal Original Petition is filed under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, to direct the respondent police not to harass the petitioner and her family members.

For Petitioner : Mr.N.Nithianandam
For Respondents : Mr.V.Meganathan for R1 to R3,
Government Advocate (Crl. side)
O R D E R
This Criminal Original Petition has been filed to direct the respondent police not to harass the petitioner and her family members.
2. The learned counsel appearing for the petitioner would submit that the respondents harassed the petitioner under the guise of enquiry and thereby he seeks direction to the respondents police not to harass the petitioner under the guise of enquiry.
3. When the matter is taken up for hearing, Mr.V.Meganathan, learned Government Advocate (crl. side) would submit that on the complaint given by the fourth respondent, enquiry has been conducted in CSR No.77 of 2022 and the same is pending on the file of the third respondent. He would further submit that the respondents are not harassing the petitioner under the guise of enquiry.
4. Heard both sides and perused the materials available on record.
5. It is the grievance of the petitioner that the respondents have been harassing her under the guise of enquiry/investigation and hence, have invoked the inherent powers of this Court under Section 482 of Cr.P.C.
6. An enquiry into a non-cognizable offence or a cognizable offence is the unfettered powers of the Investigation Officers so long as the power to investigate/enquire into these offences are legitimately exercised within the frame work of Chapter XII of the Code of Criminal
Procedure. Though the Code of Criminal Procedure empowers the Magistrate to be a guardian in all the stages of the police investigation, there is no power envisaging him to interfere with the actual
investigation or the mode of investigation. It is in this background that numerous petitions complaining of harassment are being reported and filed before this Court seeking for directions to refrain the police officials from harassing the persons named in a complaint.
7. This Court, exercising its power under Section 482 of the Criminal Procedure Code normally would not interfere with the enquiry or investigation conducted by a police officer. Nevertheless, it would also not turn a blind eye to instances of harassment by the police under the guise of enquiry or investigation is brought to its notice.
8. In the present case in hand, the petitioner has complained of harassment by the police based on a complaint and seek for this Court’s intervention by way of a direction. The term ‘harassment’ by itself has a very wide meaning and hence, what could be harassment to the petitioner may not be the same to the police officer.
9. In order to circumvent such situations, the following guidelines are issued : –
a) While summoning any person for enquiry the guidelines stipulated for preliminary enquiry by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in Lalita Kumari Vs. Government of Uttar Pradesh and others [2014 (2) SCC (1)] shall be strictly adhered to.
b) While summoning any person named in the complaint or any witness to the incident complained of, the police officer shall summon such person through a written summon mentioning the CSR number, date of complaint and the name of the complainant and he shall also specify
the date and time for appearing before them for such
enquiry/investigation.
c) The minutes of the enquiry shall be recorded in the general diary/station diary/daily diary of the police station.
d) The police officer shall refrain himself or herself from harassing persons called upon for enquiry.
10. With the above observations and direction, the Criminal
Original Petition stands disposed of.
26.04.2022
Index:Yes/No
Internet:Yes/No
Speaking order/Non speaking order shk/sai
A.D.JAGADISH CHANDIRA,J.
shk
To
1.The Commissioner of Police,
No.132, E.V.K.Sampath Road,
Vepery, Periyampet, Chennai 600 007.
2.The Assistant Commissioner of Police,
M-4, Redhills Police Station,
GNT Road, Redhills, Chennai 600 052.
3.The Inspector of Police, E-5, Sholavaram Police Station, Sholavaram, Chennai 600 067.
4.The Public Prosecutor, High Court of Madras.
Crl.O.P.No.9354 of 2022
26.04.2022