Govt likely to move SC against HC’s order on abolishing revenue police

A buzz is on that the State Government is preparing to move Supreme Court against  the High Court’s direction to the State Government for setting up regular police stations in the revenue areas. Mention worthy, the Nainital High Court had ordered in January this year the abolition of the revenue police system, started way back in 1861 by then British India Government, while asking the State Government to replace revenue police with regular police in six months. That the State Government is thinking in terms of moving the Apex Court against the HC’s direction is strengthened by the studied silence it has been keeping on the matter since the time the HC gave the direction. Senior cops say that the State administration is yet to give them any instruction regarding setting up police stations and posts in the revenue areas. However, preparations regarding setting up police stations in revenue areas by the police have been almost completed, they add.

While the State police are learnt to have nearly firmed up plans to execute the High Court’s order to set up police stations in the revenue areas things are still hanging fire due to the dithering state administration. Around three months have passed since the state High Court gave the order to the State Government to replace revenue police with regular police within six months, but it is not yet clear to the cops what the  State Government is up to.  

A senior police officer said that  there are 7760 villages in the revenue areas across the state which would be brought under the jurisdiction of the regular police as per the court’s order. “Presently, 60 % of the state’s territory is under the revenue police.