HC pulls up cops for abusing power

Taking serious note of police interference in civil matters and matrimonial disputes, the Telangana High Court has sought an explanation from the Telangana police on the petitions filed against them for abusing their powers in an unconstitutional and arbitrary manner.

A vacation bench led by Acting Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan issued notice to the police officers concerned while hearing the two individual petitions.

In one of the petitions, Mr K. Pratap Reddy, the CMD of Taurus Homes Private Ltd, Hayatnagar, submitted to the court that the station house officer of Hayathnagar had been interfering in the issue pertaining to his 70 acres of land in Survey No 108 to 111 in Thattiannaram, Abdullapurmettu mandal, Ranga Reddy district.

He alleged that the officer had been calling him and his family members to the police station regularly and pressurising them to settle the dispute with some persons.

He claimed he was forced them to enter into a

compromise and also to sign on blank stamp papers.

Mr V. Ramakrishna Reddy, counsel for the petitioner, said the lower court’s orders were in favour of his client, yet the police was forcing them to settle the dispute with private parties.

In another petition, one Shadulla, resident of Gajwel, Medak, sought a direction to the police to stop harassing him to settle his matrimonial dispute. The petitioner alleged that the Thogutta station house officer had been harassing, manhandling, and pressuring him to settle his dispute with his in-laws. His counsel said the police had been calling his client to the police station and keeping him back from morning till evening. He said the resolution of family disputes belonged to counselling centres or legal authorities.