M.Ranjithkumar, M/A-30 v. The Commissioner Of Police
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
DATED:20.09.2017
CORAM:
THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE M.S.RAMESH Crl.O.P.Nos.2968 & 2969 of 2017 M.Ranjithkumar ..
Petitioner in both Crl.O.Ps.
Vs.
1.The Commissioner of Police, Greater Chennai District, Vepery, Chennai-600 007.
2.The Deputy Commissioner of Police, St.Thomas Mount District, Chennai-600 016.
3.The Inspector of Police(Crime) S-10 Pallikaranai Police Station, Pallikaranai, Chennai-100.
...
Respondents in Crl.O.P.No.2968/2017 1.The Commissioner of Police, Greater Chennai District, Vepery, Chennai-600 007.
2.The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Adyar District, Chennai-600 020.
3.The Inspector of Police, R-6, Kumaran Nagar Police Station, Chennai-600 083 ...
Respondents in Crl.O.P.No.2969/2017
COMMON PRAYER: Criminal Original Petition filed under Section 482 Cr.P.C. praying to direct the respondent police not to harass the petitioner under the guise of enquiry.
For Petitioner :
Mr.J.William Shakesphere in both Crl.O.Ps.
For Respondents :
Mr.P.Govindarajan in both Crl.O.Ps.
Additional Public Prosecutor.
ORDER
It is the grievance of the petitioner that the respondents police have been harassing them under the guise of an enquiry/investigation and hence, has invoked the inherent powers of this Court under Section 482 of Cr.P.C.
2.By consent of both side, this Criminal Original Petition is taken up for final disposal.
3.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.
4.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. 5.In the present case in hand, the petitioners have complained of harassment by the police based on a complaint and seeks 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 petitioners may not be the same to the police officer.
6.In order to circumvent such situations, the following guidelines are issued:
a)While summoning any persons named in the complaint or any witness to the incident complained of, the police officer shall summon such persons 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.
7.With the above observations and direction, the Criminal Original Petition stands allowed.
20.09.2017 Index:Yes rm
To 1.The Commissioner of Police, Greater Chennai District, Vepery, Chennai-600 007.
2.The Deputy Commissioner of Police, St.Thomas Mount District, Chennai-600 016.
3.The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Adyar District, Chennai-600 020.
4.The Inspector of Police, R-6, Kumaran Nagar Police Station, Chennai-600 083 5.The Inspector of Police(Crime) S-10 Pallikaranai Police Station, Pallikaranai, Chennai-100.
6.The Public Prosecutor, High Court, Madras.
M.S.RAMESH.J, rm Crl.O.P.Nos.2968 & 2969 of 2017 20.09.2017