Chennai: The Madras High Court on Friday came out strongly against the practice of an orderly system in Tamil Nadu Police and called for the Director General of Police to provide a report to the court before August 18.
A bench of Justice S.M. Subramaniam said that it was painful to write about the colonial orderly system in state police even when the country was celebrating its 75th year of Independence.
He also expressed displeasure over a report filed in the court that only 19 orderlies were withdrawn despite the court giving time for six months to abolish the orderly system in toto.
The judge said that the continued practice of using trained policemen in the residences of top police officers to perform menial work and household work at the cost of taxpayers’ money was a slap on the constitution.
Justice Subramaniam wondered how the policemen who were trained to shoot with guns were ultimately used to cook dosas and chapatis at the residences of top police officers of the IPS cadre.
The court suo moto impleaded the state DGP in the case as a respondent and directed him to provide a report to the court before August 18, listing out the effective measures taken to abolish the orderly system in letter and spirit.
The judge told Additional Advocate General, P. Kumaresan that the DGP must actually strive to abolish the orderly system by Independence Day and let his department’s flag fly high before joining the nation in hosting the national flag.
He also called upon the state government to have more control over the police force and to keep the top police officers also under check. Justice Subramaniam said that there was no point in punishing the constables and Sub Inspectors alone for indiscipline.
He added that the government could certainly add one or two appointed residential assistants for doing household work in the residences of each top police officer, but uniformed policemen could not be used for such menial works.
The Judge disclosed in the open court that he had been receiving several letters complaining about the use of orderlies in the residences of top police officers.
“The Constitution of India in its spirit, philosophy, and ethos declare that every citizen of our great nation is a Queen or a King. No public servant can imagine living in a world of Mughal Emperors. The executive authorities are mere public servants,” he said.
(IANS)
