In a stinging remark, the Madras High Court has lamented that the Police Department was at present functioning with 90% of either corrupt or inefficient officials who cannot conduct criminal investigations properly.
Observing that only 10% of the personnel in the police force were honest and efficient, the court has rued that those miniscule percentage of officers could not be expected to conduct investigation in all cases.
Justice P. Velmurugan said it was time the department began cracking the whip on corrupt officials and impart training to officers who were not conversant with the criminal investigation procedures.
He made the observations while closing a contempt of court petition filed against a woman Inspector of police for not having investigated a cheating case properly despite specific court directions.
On perusal of the files, the judge found that the First Information Report had been registered in 2011. After completing the investigation, the police had closed the case in 2014 by terming it as a mistake of fact. However, the complainant filed a protest petition and approached the High Court in 2021 to obtain a direction for a fresh investigation. Once again, the case was closed forcing the complainant to move the present contempt plea.
Government advocate S. Sugendran told the court that the dispute between the parties was civil in nature and the police had chosen to close the case. After recording his submission, the judge held that the Inspector did not appear to have disobeyed court orders. He pointed out that the entire truth would have come out if the police had examined a crucial witness in the case.
He said the police did not do so until the witness died. Therefore, he granted liberty to the petitioner to initiate appropriate action, in accordance with law, against the police officers concerned for the lapses in the investigation.
