Wednesday, 22 MAY 2024 | PNS | NAINITAL
The Uttarakhand High Court has directed the State government to implement the regular police system across the entire State within one year and submit a report on this in the court. The division bench of chief justice Ritu Bahri and justice Rakesh Thapliyal issued this direction while disposing of a public interest litigation seeking discontinuation of the revenue police system in the State.
During the hearing on Tuesday, the counsel representing the State government informed the court that the government had extended the purview of the regular police to various parts of the State while efforts are underway to implement this system in other remaining areas.
It is pertinent to mention here that in 2004, in the matter of Navin Chanda versus State government the Supreme Court had acknowledged the need to end the revenue police system. It was stated that the revenue police are not trained like the civil police. The revenue police lack modern resources, computers, basic facilities for forensics, fingerprinting, blood and DNA tests. The lack of these facilities poses issues in the investigation of crimes.
The court had also stated that the citizens should have access to a uniform system in the State. The High Court had also issued various guidelines to the State government in this regard during 2018 but the directions could not be fully implemented by the State. The PIL had sought that the earlier orders of the HC should be implemented.
