The Supreme Court agreed with the Madhya Pradesh police that a man acquitted on “benefit of doubt” for impersonating a police officer to commit robbery and receive stolen property is not fit to join the force as a constable.

A Supreme Court Bench of Justices Arun Mishra and Navin Sinha held that the man, Bunty, has no business being in the police. His acquittal had been on technical grounds. He was involved in a crime of moral turpitude and the acquittal did not clearly lift the clouds over his antecedents.

“The perception formed by the Screening Committee that he was unfit to be inducted in the disciplined police force was appropriate… decision of Scrutiny Committee does not warrant judicial interference,” the Supreme Court said in a recent judgment.

The State had come in appeal against a decision of the Madhya Pradesh High Court Division Bench, which set aside the screening committee’s call to reject Bunty. A Single Judge of the High Court had earlier upheld the committee’s stand.

The court said acquittal on benefit of doubt is not really a “clean acquittal.”

“If acquittal in a case involving moral turpitude or offence of heinous/serious nature, on technical ground and it is not a case of clean acquittal, or benefit of reasonable doubt has been given, the employer may consider relevant facts as to antecedents and may take appropriate decision as to the continuance of the employee,” the apex court referred to past precedents.

The court pointed out that it is really up to the police force to decide whether a person who has not had an “honourable” acquittal should be inducted in the police force.