AP HC judge’s orders on rowdy-sheets struck down

VIJAYAWADA: A division bench of the Andhra Pradesh High Court stayed the orders issued by the single-judge bench stating that the police standing orders cannot be used to open rowdy-sheets. The bench said police can open rowdy-sheets and continue the existing ones and even open new rowdy-sheets. The bench also said police can gather information regarding a person and also keep a vigil against suspicious persons.

Dealing with a batch of petitions challenging the opening of rowdy-sheets and continuing them against whom cases have been struck down, the single-judge bench had recently stated that there is no legality to the police standing orders and rowdy-sheets,  suspect sheets or history sheets cannot be opened, invoking PSO or Police Manual. The division bench struck down the single-judge bench orders. The bench asked the police not to reopen the rowdy-sheets that were withdrawn as per the orders of the single judge.