Uttarakhand govt to SC: Revenue Police System to be phased out soon
Oct 19, 2022
New Delhi [India], October 19 : The Uttarakhand government has told the Supreme Court that the state Cabinet has taken a policy decision to bring areas, presently policed by the Revenue Police, within the jurisdiction of the regular police in a phased manner.
Deputy Advocate General State of Uttarakhand Jatinder Kumar Sethi has told the Supreme Court that the State Cabinet in its meeting held on October 12, 2022, has deliberated upon a proposal for bringing those areas that are presently being policed by the Revenue Police in the State within jurisdiction of the regular police.
The Uttrakhand Government told that in the first phase, all heinous crimes including crimes against women, kidnapping, cyber-crime, POCSO etc shall be handed over to the Regular Police by the District Magistrates immediately and State Administration shall prepare a detailed blueprint for remaining areas and prepare the necessary proposal for up gradation of Cadre Strength of the existing police, necessary Infrastructure for Police Stations and outposts etc along with cost implications and means of financing thereof, which shall be put up for decision of the State Cabinet six months hence.
"In the interim, the District Magistrates shall continue to keep a close watch on crime reported in their respective districts and each case will be assessed for the necessity of handling by regular police and decisions taken accordingly by the District Magistrate on a case to case basis," the state govt has submitted.
A bench of Chief Justice of India UU Lalit and Bela M Trivedi has taken on record the note of the statement regarding the Cabinet decision that has been placed before it.
"Though the issues raised in the Special Leave Petition do call for authoritative pronouncement, in view of the decision taken by the State Cabinet in its meeting on October 12, principally accepting the decision of the High Court and taking appropriate steps to implement said directions, we see no reason to interfere with the present petition. The Special Leave petition is therefore disposed of leaving all questions of law open," the court said in its October 17's order.
An intervention application has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking the abolition of a century-old practice of the Revenue Police System in Uttarakhand in wake of the Ankita Bhandari murder case.
The intervention application was filed by Uttrakhand journalist Anu Pant through advocates Rituparn Uniyal, Abhishek Kumar, Deeksha Saggi and Nayan Mishra.
The intervention application has been filed seeking the abolition of a century-old practice of the Revenue Police System in many parts of the state of Uttarakhand wherein the handling of crime and offences by the Revenue Police has resulted in a law-and-order situation.
The fresh application was filed in wake of the recent murder of 19-year-old girl Ankita Bhandari near Chilla Canal in Rishikesh, Yamkeshwar Block, District Pauri Garhwal.
"19-year-old Ankita Bhandari had a month ago joined as a receptionist in Vanantra Resort situated at Chilla Road near Rishikesh and went missing on September 18 from the resort. Her father, who was not able to contact and locate his daughter, came to Rishikesh in search of his daughter but that poor man was made to run from pillar to post by the police and revenue authorities," the application said.
