Bombay HC slams Maharashtra Govt. for trying to curb police powers
By ANITuesday, March 1, 2011
NEW DELHI - The Bombay High Court on Tuesday criticizing the Maharashtra Government asked it to explain its motive behind issuing a circular asking police officials not to record instructions coming from politicians within two weeks.
The Supreme Court had slapped a fine of Rs. ten lakh on the Maharshtra Government last year and reprimanded then chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, now Union Rural Development Minister, for obstruction of police action against the moneylender father of a Congress legislator.
The court also issued a notice to the Director General of Police (DGP) and sought his reply on the concerned matter.
Hearing a petition filed by former journalist Ketan Tirodkar, a division bench of Justices B H Marlapalle and R V More questioned the government’s intention behind issuing the circular dated November 11, 2010.
“If the government is trying to curtail the powers of the police then we will not allow it,” Justice Marlapalle remarked.
The circular stated that apart from what is mandatory under the Police Manual, the police must not record in their station diary any instructions coming from the Members of the Legislative Assembly.
Tirodkar has stated in his petition that the circular was discriminatory. (ANI)
