CAN PREPARE LIST OF TOP 10 CRIMINALS BUT CAN’T DISPLAY IT IN PUBLIC: HC
UP DGP directed to remove names of top 10 criminals from flysheet board of all police stations NEITHER SOCIALLY NOR POLITICALLY IT IS DESIRABLE TO CURTAIL HUMAN DIGNITY, WHICH IS INFRINGED WHEN ACCUSED NAMES ARE DISPLAYED ON FLYSHEET BOARD
PRAYAGRAJ : The Allahabad high court on Friday directed the Uttar Pradesh director general of police (DGP) to forthwith remove the names/identities of top-10 criminals, along with their criminal antecedents, from the flysheet board from all the police stations in the state as the same is violative of Article 21 of the Constitution.
However, the court held that there is nothing wrong in preparing a list of top criminals in a district for surveillance.
The court directed the DGP of UP to ensure that a circular in the light of the judgment is sent to all the police heads of the districts, so as to ensure strict compliance with the order.
PRAYAGRAJ: The Allahabad high court on Friday directed the Uttar Pradesh director general of police (DGP) to forthwith remove the names/identities of top-10 criminals, along with their criminal antecedents, from the flysheet board from all the police stations in the state as the same is violative of Article 21 of the Constitution.
However, the court held that there is nothing wrong in preparing a list of top criminals in a district for surveillance.
The court directed the DGP of UP to ensure that a circular in the light of the judgment is sent to all the police heads of the districts, so as to ensure strict compliance with the order.The court held that the action of police officers in disclosing the identity of criminals in police stations in the public gaze is absolutely unwarranted and uncalled for as well as being violative of Article 21 of the Constitution. The bench comprising Justice Pankaj Naqvi and Justice Vivek Agarwal passed the order while allowing three petitions filed by Jeeshan alias Jaanu, Balveer Singh Yadav and Doodh Nath Yadav.
However, the court said that the benefit of the judgment will not be given to any “claimed offenders and fugitives in law”.
The three petitioners were aggrieved by the publication of their names in the list of top 10 criminals displayed at various police stations in the districts of Prayagraj and Kanpur Nagar.
“In the above backdrop, it is apparent that neither socially nor politically it is desirable to curtail human dignity, which is infringed when the names of accused persons are displayed on the flysheet board of the police station concerned or anywhere else without there being any proclamation issued against them under Section 82 of the CrPC. Thus, this practice of putting the names on the flysheet board is derogatory to the concept of human dignity and privacy,” the court held.
The court held that there was nothing wrong in selecting top 10 criminals for surveillance and observed, “The circular of DG, Police envisaging a criteria to select Top-10 criminals in a district and in each police station is in exercise of power to maintain surveillance, to which no illegality could be attached. However, there is nothing in the circular which enables the police to disclose the identity of accused in public gaze.”