Chennai: Madras High Court yesterday reiterated the need for implementing of the Supreme Court Constitutional Bench direction asking authorities to register complaints if a cognisable offence is made out and directed the registry to circulate a copy of the judgment to Home Secretaries of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry governments and senior police officials.
Justice P Devadoss was disposing of an original criminal petition filed by one P L Veerappan who had alleged that no action had been taken by Korattur police on his complaint about two persons who swindled Rs 10 lakh from his medical agency with the connivance of another person.
The judge directed the Korattur Inspector to register the complaint made by Veerappan.
Stating that the court is approached by complainants frequently under section 482 CrPC for a direction to police to register a complaint in which purely civil disputes and business disputes have been converted as criminal cases, the judge said, “These are persecutions and not prosecutions and thus the petitions are filed for quashing such a type of proceedings.”
The judge said police stations have become feeding centres for cases being filed in family courts, holding that inept handling by police in matrimonial cases was the main cause for it.
Advising police that timely action by them will bring down the number of criminals, the judge said their adhering to the CrPC 1973 will avoid people thronging the court by way of petitions for a direction to police.
After highlighting the order issued by the Supreme Court Constitutional bench recently, the judge directed the registry to circulate copies of the judgment to concerned authorities.
In its November 12 order, the SC had said registration of FIR by police in cognisable offence is a must and action must be taken against police officials for not lodging a case on complaints in such offences.
