Velu @ Velusamy v. The Deputy Superintendent Of Police
BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT DATED: 24.01.2020
CORAM:
THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE A.D.JAGADISH CHANDIRA Crl.O.P.(MD) No.1073 of 2020
1. Velu @ Velusamy
2. Balasubramanian
...Petitioners
Vs.
1. The Deputy Superintendent of Police Andipatti, Theni District
2. The Inspector of Police Kandamanur Police Station Theni District
3. The Inspector of Police Anti Land Grabbing Cell Office of the District Superintendent of Police Theni District, Theni
4. Hindu Nagar Uravingmurai Situating at Kandamanur North Street Kandamanur, Andipatti Taluk Theni District Rep. through Ganesan
...Respondents
PRAYER: Criminal Original Petition filed under Section 482 Cr.P.C. praying to to direct the respondents 1 to 3 to not to harass the petitioners and their family members in the guise of enquiry based on the complaint of the 4th respondent and consequently direct the respondents 1 to 3 not to interfere into civil dispute between the petitioners and the fourth respondent which is subject matter of civil suit in O.S.No.317 of 2017 before the Sub Court, Theni. For Petitioners : Mr.M.S Jeyakarthik For Respondents : Mr.S.Chandrasekar No.1 to 3 Additional Public Prosecutor
ORDER
This petition has been filed seeking direction to direct the respondents 1 to 3 to not to harass the petitioners and their family members in the guise of enquiry based on the complaint of 1/4
the 4th respondent and consequently direct the respondents 1 to 3 not to interfere into civil dispute between the petitioners and the fourth respondent which is subject matter of civil suit in O.S.No.317 of 2017 before the Sub Court, Theni. 2.
The learned counsel appearing for the petitioners 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 complainants against the petitioners, petition enquiry is pending on the file of the respondent police 4.
Heard the learned Counsel for the petitioners and learned Additional Public Prosecutor for the respondent police. 5.
It is the grievance of the petitioners that the respondent police has 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.
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 petitioners may not be the same to the police officer.
2/4
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 respondent police is directed to serve summons mentioning the CSR number, date of complaint and the name of the complainant c)The minutes of the enquiry shall be recorded in the general diary/station diary/daily diary of the police station. dThe police officer shall refrain himself or herself from harassing persons called upon for enquiry/investigation. e)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.
Sd/- Assistant Registrar // True Copy // / /2020 Sub Assistant Registrar(CS) aav To
1. The Deputy Superintendent of Police Andipatti, Theni District
2. The Inspector of Police Kandamanur Police Station Theni District
3. The Inspector of Police Anti Land Grabbing Cell Office of the District Superintendent of Police Theni District, Theni 3/4
4.The Additional Public Prosecutor Madurai Bench of Madras High Court, Madurai.
+1 CC to M/s.M.S.JEYAKARTHIK, Advocate ( SR-2942[F] dated 24/01/2020 ) Crl.O.P.(MD) No.1073 of 2020 24.01.2020 kg(CO) TR(30.01.2020)4P 6C 4/4