The Madras High Court Bench in Madurai has expressed anguish over some of the police officers furnishing false information in the court, especially during the hearing of habeas corpus petitions alleging kidnapping or missing of individuals.
After coming across one such instance on Thursday, a Division Bench comprising Justice K. Suguna and Justice R. Mala ordered that the higher officials in the police department must look into the issue and ensure that such happenings do not recur. The judges also directed the Madurai Superintendent of Police to initiate disciplinary action against a Sub-Inspector of police attached to Oomachikulam police station near Madurai for having made a false statement in the court and report the details about the action taken by September 27.
During the hearing of a couple of habeas corpus petitions connected to each other, the Sub-Inspector had informed the court, through the Additional Public Prosecutor, that newspaper publications had been made to trace two individuals allegedly missing from their residence. However, when the judges wanted to take a look at the newspapers concerned, the Sub-Inspector said that no such publication had been made so far. “The said Sub-Inspector of Police who is present before this court is bold enough to give such false information which is a condemnable one,” the judges said.
They went on to state: “The purpose for which the police officers come to the court is only to assist the Additional Public Prosecutor to dispose of the matters. It does not mean that they can furnish false information which in our view amounts to misconduct.”
Ordering the SP to initiate disciplinary action against him, the judges said: “We hope that this would be a warning to other police officers who come to the court to assist the Additional Public Prosecutor and they will not furnish any false information hereafter.”
