The Madras High Court on Monday took serious note of media reports of lower grade policemen being engaged as orderlies in the residences of senior police officials.
It directed the Home Secretary to explain how such a practice continued despite a ban imposed through a government order way back in 1979.
Passing interim orders on a criminal original petition pending since 2012, Justice N. Kirubakaran also directed the Home secretary to be present in the court on Thursday if he fails to spell out the names of those who would be a part of a committee.
The judge recalled to have made a recommendation to the State government on July 2, 2012, to constitute a committee headed by a retired High Court judge to study the causes for increasing number of desertions, suicides and such other issues in the police force.
After prolonging the issue for long and taking repeated adjournments, the court was informed in 2016 that the Commissioner of Police, Chennai city, had written to the Director General of Police (DGP) on October 7, 2016 in this regard along with the bio-data of those who could be included in the committee.
There was a lull once again and after the hearing held on March 8. Special Government Pleader T.M. Pappiah informed the court on Monday that the DGP, in turn, had written a letter to the Home Secretary on March 12 seeking necessary orders with regard to the constitution of the committee and was awaiting a reply.
Mounting suicides
Irked over such a submission, the judge said that the delay in constituting the committee would not be in the interest of the police personnel especially when 600 to 700 desertions were reported every year.
He also said that 19 policemen had committed suicides in 2010, 31 in 2011, 58 in 2012, 31 in 2013, 27 in 2014 and 16 in 2017.
He stressed that serious efforts should be taken to appoint the committee so that issues related to fixing definite working hours for the police personnel and holding regular mental and physical health check ups could be determined.
He also said that no policeman should be engaged as an orderly in residences of serving and retired higher officials.
“Policemen are being paid from the public exchequer and they are supposed to do public service and not individual work in the houses of either the higher police officials or retired officials.
“If they want, the officials can appoint attenders or house maids for their domestic work or they could be sent through the Public Works Department,” the judge said.
