Chennai: The Madras High Court on Monday advised Greater Chennai Police Commissioner, A. Arun, to ensure that Investigating Officers (IOs) are not diverted to other duties, such as providing security for VIPs and public events, so they can focus solely on completing criminal investigations swiftly.
Justice P. Velmurugan issued the directive while observing that it was time for the judiciary and police to work together to reduce the backlog of criminal cases across Tamil Nadu.
He also remarked that, in a suitable case, he would summon the Director General of Police and Head of the Police Force, Shankar Jiwal, to offer similar advice, thereby setting a statewide precedent.
The judge made these comments while addressing discrepancies in data maintained by the police and judiciary regarding the disposal of criminal cases.
He pointed out that police often close cases as ‘mistake of fact,’ yet these closures do not get reflected in judicial records.
Likewise, in several instances, final reports filed by the police are not taken on file by the courts, leading to further data mismatches.
State Public Prosecutor Hasan Mohamed Jinnah informed the court that such inconsistencies could be resolved if Principal District Judges and Superintendents of Police conducted regular monthly meetings to reconcile their data.
Justice Velmurugan agreed, noting that this practice appeared to be lacking in several districts. The court directed Commissioner Arun to coordinate with trial courts to implement these corrective measures and added that any non-cooperation by Judicial Officers could be brought to his attention for necessary directions.
“The poor and illiterate often do not understand legal procedures beyond filing a police complaint. It is crucial that the criminal justice system works in their favour and ensures timely delivery of justice,” Justice Velmurugan emphasised.
The judge also instructed Arun to submit fresh data by July 8 on all pending criminal cases within Chennai city limits. This includes statistics on cases under investigation, final reports filed, and trials in progress.
The directions were issued during a hearing on a petition concerning the non-registration of a case under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Hasan Mohamed Jinnah informed the court that although petitioner V. Vanamalai had submitted a communication from the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), the police had not received the said correspondence via email, as claimed by the commission.
Justice Velmurugan directed the State Public Prosecutor to file a counter-affidavit by June 23, after which appropriate orders would be passed.
(IANS)
