Ratna Priya v. The Commissioner Of Police,
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
DATED: 09.04.2025
CORAM:
THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE G.K.ILANTHIRAIYAN Crl.O.P.No. 10833 of 2025 Ratna Priya ....
Petitioner Vs 1.Commissioner of Police, Greater Chennai Police, Vepery, Chennai 600 007 2.Assistant Commissioner of Police, Thoraipakkam Range, Chennai 600 097 3.Deputy Commissioner of Police(DCP), Adyar District, Chennai 600 020 4.Inspector of Police, J9 Thoraipakkam Police Station, Chennai 600 097 ....
Respondents PRAYER: Criminal Original Petition is filed under Section 528 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, to direct the respondents particularly 2nd, 3rd and 4th respondents not to harass the petitioner under the guise of enquiry in case.
For Petitioner : M/s.Inthu Karunakaran For Respondents : Mr.R.Vinothraja, Government Advocate (Crl.Side)
O R D E R
This petition has been filed seeking direction to the respondents particularly 2nd, 3rd and 4th respondents not to harass the petitioner under the guise of enquiry in case.
2.
The learned counsel appearing for the petitioner submits that the respondents police harassed the petitioner under the guise of enquiry. 3.
The learned Government Advocate (Crl. Side) appearing for the respondents police submits that on the complaint given by the defacto complainant against the petitioner, petition enquiry is pending. 4.
Heard the learned counsel appearing on either side and perused the materials placed on record.
5.
It is the grievance of the petitioner that the respondents police have been harassing her under the guise of an enquiry/investigation and hence, has invoked the inherent powers of this Court under Section 528 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.
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/enquiry into these offences are legitimately exercised within the frame work of Chapter XIII of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. Though the Sanhita 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 528 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 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 179 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 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 direction, the Criminal Original Petition stands disposed of.
09.04.2025 Index : Yes/No : Yes/No Speaking/non-speaking order lok To 1.Commissioner of Police, Greater Chennai Police, Vepery, Chennai 600 007 2.Assistant Commissioner of Police, Thoraipakkam Range, Chennai 600 097 3.Deputy Commissioner of Police(DCP), Adyar District, Chennai 600 020 4.Inspector of Police, J9 Thoraipakkam Police Station, Chennai 600 097 5.The Public Prosecutor, High Court, Madras.
G.K.ILANTHIRAIYAN, J.
lok 09.04.2025