-CS should take action against erring police: Ramaiah
-Midnight GOs and secret FIRs symptoms of fascist rule
AMARAVATI: TDP politburo member Varla Ramaiah on Saturday urged the Chief Secretary of AP to take action against the State police for committing ‘contempt of court’ in sharing FIR copies. Ramaiah wrote a letter to the CS here, saying that the AP Government was encouraging ‘secret FIRs’ just like secret GOs in violation of principles of natural justice. This was also in violation of the Supreme Court judgement.
The TDP leader said that the Government was deliberately not issuing First Information Report (FIR) copies to the accused contrary to the spirit of the laws of the land. It appears that the Government is proceeding on the lines of secret Government Orders (GOs) with regard to FIRs.
Ramaiah said that interestingly, the present Government has become ‘infamously famous’ for its midnight secret GOs. Secret FIRs were a symptom of fascist regime. Sections 154 and 207 CrPC clearly stipulate the authorities to share FIR and other relevant documents of the case with the accused.
The TDP leader stressed the need for ensuring principles of natural justice to provide a chance to the accused for a fair trial. Also, the Supreme Court of India categorically stated: ‘An accused is entitled to get a copy of the first information report at an earlier stage than as prescribed under Section 207 CrPC.’
Ramaiah pointed out that the court while pronouncing the judgment in the case cited above has specifically stated that all the FIRs registered by the police shall be kept in public domain as early as possible, i.e., within 24 hours unless they are highly sensitive in nature.Still, the Government of Andhra Pradesh appears to be reluctant to oblige with the instructions of the Apex court. The Supreme Court also stated that any violation of these orders shall be treated as contempt of court.
The TDP leader termed it very surprising that a number of FIRs are being registered against a senior Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader, former Minister and a Politburo member of the party, Chintakayala Ayyanna Patrudu, but no FIR seems to have been kept in the public domain. Every day, a posse of police have been visiting the house of Ayyanna Patrudu at Narsipatnam on the plea of serving notices under 41A CrPC against him. Had the police obliged the directions of the Supreme Court, the alleged
accused Ayyanna Patrudu would have been facilitated to approach the judiciary to get redressal.
Ramaiah said such police, who were deliberately disobeying the instructions of the Apex Court, should face charges for contempt of the court. Hence, it is requested to direct the police department to make public all the FIRs within 24 hours of registration and share the same with the accused free of cost as stated in Sections 154 & 207 CrPC and as per the orders of the Supreme Court.
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