Police officers serving in the jurisdiction of Tiruchi City can henceforth carry out inquiry into complaints relating to row over financial transactions or property-related disputes only after obtaining an authorisation from their superiors. Cognizable offences will, however, continue to be probed by the Station House Officers concerned as usual as and when reported.
The recent instruction issued by the Commissioner of Police is essentially aimed at checking malpractices in police stations and to thwart any “off-the-record” investigation into such complaints.
The Station House Officers manning the police stations falling within the Tiruchi City limits have been briefed about the latest instruction during a meeting held recently.
The Tiruchi Police Commissionerate accounts for a total number of 14 police stations falling under four ranges – Cantonment, Fort, Srirangam and Golden Rock. Notice containing the recent instruction has been pasted in front of the police stations to make petitioners, approaching with such complaints, aware of this directive.
Sources said police officers serving in different stations have to bring to the knowledge of their superiors complaints pertaining to row over financial transactions or property-related disputes that come to them.
Only after obtaining an authorisation from the Commissioner of Police or the Deputy Commissioner of Police can the field-level officer initiate enquiry into such complaints, the sources said. The top police officers of the City would peruse such complaints and apply their mind prior to endorsing them. No such complaints could be taken up for inquiry without bringing them to the knowledge of the Commissioner of Police or the Deputy Commissioner of Police, the sources further said.
Such petitions had to be endorsed by either of these two top officers prior to being taken up for inquiry by issuing a CSR (Community Service Register) or booking a FIR (First Information Report). The new directive was put in place after the Commissioner of Police A. Arun took charge recently. Mr. Arun had a meeting with field-level officers in this regard a few days ago.
The move is also aimed at avoiding police officers from getting into civil disputes or taking up complaints which were civil in nature. Mr.Arun said the instruction was primarily aimed at thwarting malpractice in police stations. This was to prevent officers from getting swayed by influential persons in taking up such complaints. The idea is also to prevent them from conducting any “off-the-record” probe into such complaints, Mr. Arun said.
Upon obtaining endorsement, the field-level officers could take up enquiry by either issuing a CSR or booking an FIR, he added. The Commissioner said he had himself endorsed over 10 such complaints after perusing them since he took charge recently.
