R.Priya v. The Inspector Of Police

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

DATED:06.07.2020

CORAM:

THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE G. K. ILANTHIRAIYAN Crl.O.P.No.10099 of 2020 R. Priya, W/o. Late Rajan, Door No.1/349-C, L.D.Garden, Kunnathur, Coimbatore - 641 107.

...Petitioner

Vs.

The State Represented by, The Inspector of Police, District Crime Branch, Coimbatore District, Coimbatore - 641 018.

...Respondent

PRAYER: Criminal Original Petition filed under Section 482 Cr.P.C. praying to direct the respondent Police not to harass the petitioner on the basis of the false complaint filed by his Loganayaki, the original offender.

For Petitioner : Mr. S. B. Viswanathan For Respondent : Mr. S. Karthikeyan, Additional Public Prosecutor

ORDER

This petition has been filed seeking for a direction, directing the respondent police not to harass the petitioner. 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 the petitioner 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 person 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 FIR 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.

With the above observations and directions, the Criminal Original Petition stands disposed of. Sd/- Assistant Registrar(CS III) //True Copy// Sub Assistant Registrar SSI To

1. The Inspector of Police, District Crime Branch, Coimbatore District, Coimbatore - 641 018.

2. The Public Prosecutor, High Court, Madras.

Crl.O.P.No.10099 of 2020 BP(CO) RMP(07/08/2020)