K.N.Ranganathan v. The Deputy Superintendent Of Police
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
DATED: 21.06.2022
CORAM:
THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE N.SATHISH KUMAR Crl.O.P.No.8558 of 2022 K.N.Ranganathan ... Petitioner Vs.
1.The Deputy Superintendent of Police District Police Headquarters Krishnagiri, Krishnagiri District 2.The State Represented by The Inspector of Police Krishnagiri Town Police Station Krishnagiri District ... Respondents PRAYER: Criminal Original Petition filed under Section 482 Cr.P.C. praying to direct the respondent Police not to harass the petitioner.
For Petitioner : Mr.C.Arun Kumar For Respondents: Mr.A.Gokulakrishnan Additional Public Prosecutor.
ORDER
This petition has been filed seeking direction to the respondent police not to harass these petitioner in connection with Crime No. Not known of 2022 pending on the file of Respondent Police.
2.The learned counsel appearing for the petitioner submits that the respondent police harassed the petitioner under the guise of enquiry.
3.The learned Additional Public Prosecutor appearing for the respondent police submits that on the complaint given by the defacto complainant against the petitioner, petition enquiry is pending on the file of the respondent police. 4.Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned Additional Public Prosecutor for the respondent police.
5.It is the grievance of the petitioner that the respondent police have been harassing him under the guise of an enquiry/investigation and hence, has 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 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 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 named in the complaint or any witness to the incident complained of, the police officer shall summon such person through a written summon under Section 160 Cr.P.C., specifying a particular date and time for appearing before them for such an enquiry/investigation.
b)The minutes of the enquiry shall be recorded in the general diary/station diary/daily diary of the police station.
c)The police officer shall refrain himself or herself from harassing persons called upon for enquiry/investigation.
d)The guidelines stipulated for preliminary enquiry or registration of F.I.R 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.
10.Considering the facts and circumstances, the respondent police is directed to conduct the enquiry and if any prima facie case is made out against the petitioner, register the F.I.R or close the petition enquiry within a period of one (1) week from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. The petitioner is directed to cooperate with the enquiry.
11.With the above observation and direction, the Criminal Original Petition stands closed.
Sd/- Assistant Registrar(CS IX) //True Copy// Sub Assistant Registrar kas To 1.The Deputy Superintendent of Police District Police Headquarters Krishnagiri, Krishnagiri District 2.The Inspector of Police Krishnagiri Town Police Station Krishnagiri District 3.The Public Prosecutor High Court of Madras Chennai 600 104.
Crl.O.P.No.8558 of 2022 PMK(CO) CT/30/06/2022