The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Court orders police to register cases, investigate

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 26, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Court orders police to register cases, investigate

Special Correspondent

Report sought within 3 months

CHENNAI : "Pained" at the continuing police practice of not registering a case even if a complaint reveals cognisable offences, the Madras High Court has directed the Royapettah and the Pattabiram police to register cases and investigate two separate complaints.

Justice K.N. Basha, referring to Supreme Court rulings, said, "we are very much pained to note that inspite of the complaints given by the petitioner, who is none else than a practising advocate, the Royapettah police simply treated it as a petition inquiry and did not even register a First Information Report."

The matter related to the alleged reluctance shown by the Royapettah police to accept a complaint from advocate S.V. Singaravelan, alleging criminal intimidation and threat by his neighbours who were sharing a passage with him.

Mr. Justice Basha told counsel S. Prabakaran that the court would take serious note of such failure on the part of police because "time and again, this court placed reliance on the decisions of the Supreme Court that the police officer did not have any other option except to register a case on complaints of cognisable offences under Section 154(1) of Code of Criminal Procedure."

After Additional Public Prosecutor informed the court that police filed a case on January 23, the Judge asked the police to proceed with the investigation "as quickly as possible" and submit a report in a period of three months.

Similarly, expressing concern at the submission of another practising advocate, T. Devika, that one Govindarajan of Pattabiram had abused her in filthy language and issued a murder threat to her, Mr. Justice Basha directed Pattabiram police to register a case and investigate. "In view of the submission made by A.P. Suryaprakasam, counsel for the petitioner, this court is constrained to direct the respondent-police to register a case and file a report within three months." According to Ms. Devika, the accused harassed and intimidated her due to previous enmity over a civil dispute.

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