Officials must not comment on legal proceedings against any accused on social media: Delhi Police Commissioner to staff
Aug 26, 2023
New Delhi [India], August 26 : The Delhi Police Commissioner on Saturday wrote a letter to the police officials instructing them on the usage of social media.
Delhi CP, Sanjay Arora, in his letter, said, "Police officials must not comment on any legal proceedings against any accused. Neither they should transmit any confidential messages regarding the same on social media".
"Without written permission, police officials must not transmit any message related to the department's training programme, duty, or any activities. They should not make comments which might be considered provocative or humiliating against a victim, accused, or any person belonging to any community", the letter further read.
"It is illegal to release the identity of an adolescent or a complainant of sexual harassment via social media", the letter said.
CP Arora, in his letter, also mentioned that it is illegal to post pictures or videos of high-security areas or persons under government security.
"Being a part of the disciplinary force, a police official must not post content on social media that poses a threat to the nation's security. The content should not be obscene, threatening, or humiliating to people", the letter read.
"The police officials should not be a part of any group that encourages a particular religion, group, or sub-groups. They must abstain from being a part of any political campaign being run on social media", it said.
The letter also mentioned that the sensitive contents should rest with the police.
"Police officials are advised not to use social media on duty. They should maintain decency and should not post pictures or reels with weapons or government vehicles", it said.
The letter also advised police personnel to be aware of rumours being promulgated on social media.
It is worth mentioning that the 18th Heads of State and Government Summit of the G20 (Group of 20) is scheduled to be held in the national capital next month and the Delhi police have started gearing up for the same.
Delhi Police started preparations a few months ago and have been training staff who are to be deployed at various locations.
