The Hindu: Chennai: Thursday, 21th Dec 2023.
Can the police seize house keys to conduct a search in abetment of suicide cases? This question raised by a petitioner under the Right to Information Act led to the Tamil Nadu Information Commission sending notices to two IPS officers calling for their explanation why action should not be taken against them for furnishing wrong information.
The case pertains to a petition filed by L. Prem Anandan of Admbakkam here who sought details on the number of cases filed under Section 306 (Abetment to suicide) cases registered in the Adambakkam police station during a certain period. With proper information not forthcoming from the Public Information Officer, he filed an appeal before the First Appellate Authority/Joint Commissioner of Police. Not satisfied with the reply, he moved the Commission.
After going through the matter, the Commission directed the PIO to furnish information called for by the petitioner. Though the reply was sent, the petitioner sent an objection letter to the Commission. To a question requesting copies of the rules and regulations empowering the police to take the keys of a house in abetment of suicide cases, the police replied that there were no such provision under law. However, he claimed that his house keys were taken in one such case.
After hearing both sides, State Chief Information Commissioner Md. Shakeel Akhter directed the then PIOs/Deputy Commissioners of Police K. Prabhakar (Now Superintendent of Police, Karur) and A. Pradeep (now Deputy Commissioner of Police, Madurai), who had furnished information to the petitioner on two different occasions to send their explanations to the Commission as to why action should not be taken against them under Sections 20(1) and 20(2) of the Act for giving wrong information to the petitioner.
Can the police seize house keys to conduct a search in abetment of suicide cases? This question raised by a petitioner under the Right to Information Act led to the Tamil Nadu Information Commission sending notices to two IPS officers calling for their explanation why action should not be taken against them for furnishing wrong information.
The case pertains to a petition filed by L. Prem Anandan of Admbakkam here who sought details on the number of cases filed under Section 306 (Abetment to suicide) cases registered in the Adambakkam police station during a certain period. With proper information not forthcoming from the Public Information Officer, he filed an appeal before the First Appellate Authority/Joint Commissioner of Police. Not satisfied with the reply, he moved the Commission.
After going through the matter, the Commission directed the PIO to furnish information called for by the petitioner. Though the reply was sent, the petitioner sent an objection letter to the Commission. To a question requesting copies of the rules and regulations empowering the police to take the keys of a house in abetment of suicide cases, the police replied that there were no such provision under law. However, he claimed that his house keys were taken in one such case.
After hearing both sides, State Chief Information Commissioner Md. Shakeel Akhter directed the then PIOs/Deputy Commissioners of Police K. Prabhakar (Now Superintendent of Police, Karur) and A. Pradeep (now Deputy Commissioner of Police, Madurai), who had furnished information to the petitioner on two different occasions to send their explanations to the Commission as to why action should not be taken against them under Sections 20(1) and 20(2) of the Act for giving wrong information to the petitioner.
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