Hyderabad HC seeks explanation from state DGP for parading accused before media

HYDERABAD: In a significant ruling, a division bench of the Hyderabad High Court has made it clear that the police have no authority to permit the print and electronic media for publishing and telecasting the photos of the accused and suspects. The Court also found fault with the police act of parading the accused or suspects before media. The police have no right to violate the rights of any individual and their privacy though the person is an accused or a convict, the bench noted.

Dealing with a petition filed by Kavati Sagar, the bench comprising Justice C V Nagarjuna Reddy and Justice G Shyam Prasad recently directed the Andhra Pradesh state director general   of police to file an affidavit regarding parade of the accused persons or suspects by the police before the media. 

Sagar, son of an accused woman from Adinarayanapuram in Chirala of Prakasam district of AP, filed a petition seeking action against the police concerned for conducting and parading the victim (his mother) in the press conference held last month. He urged the court to direct the police to produce Kavati Alimelu before the court and to take action against Madhava Reddy, Atmakur DSP in Kurnool district, for arrest of his mother by suspecting her as a thief. Later, she was produced before the media in Srisailam and made serious allegations against the victim, he added and made Kurnool and Prakasam districts SPs, Nandikotkur police constables  Acharya, Sreenu, Basheer, Nagaraj and Chirala two town constables Seenu, Mahesh and others as respondents to the case.

When the matter came up for hearing before the bench, the petitioner’s counsel placed the photographs before the court relating to the alleged police ‘behaviour’ with the victim. One of the photograph shows that the police held the neck of the victim which was published in newspapers, he added.

After going through the photographs, the bench wondered at the manner the police behaved with the victim. As per the evidence before the court, the police have no authority to violate the rights of an individual and have no power to permit the media to publish and telecast by parading the accused or suspects before them. The bench directed the AP DGP to give explanation on the issue and posted the matter to June 26 for further hearing.

Directions by the court
Dealing with a petition filed by Kavati Sagar, the bench comprising Justice C V Nagarjuna Reddy and Justiwce G Shyam Prasad recently directed the Andhra Pradesh state director general   of police to file an affidavit regarding parade of the accused persons or suspects by the police before the media.