Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Monday sentenced additional commissioner of police (ACP), crimes, and three other police officials to undergo six weeks’ imprisonment in a contempt case.
Justice Radha Rani found the four officials — Additional CP (crimes) A.R. Srinivas, (the then DCP of Banjara Hills), M. Sudarshan, (then ACP, Banjara Hills), S. Rajashekar Reddy, (then station house officer), and sub-inspector Ch. Naresh — guilty of violating Supreme Court guidelines in the Arnesh Kumar case, which prescribes the principles to be followed by the police before calling a person to the police station and taking him into custody or arresting him.
The contempt case was filed against the four police personnel for interfering in a family dispute and issuing look-out notice and Interpol notices against one Jakka Vinod Reddy and his mother, without following the guidelines framed by the Supreme Court.
The guidelines clearly mandate that Section 41-A CrPC has to be followed. They also mandate that police cannot arrest anyone in a case registered under 498-A of IPC and Section-4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act.
Vinod Reddy also complained that the police had registered a second first information report (FIR) on the same allegations between the same parties which as impermissible. The Supreme Court guidelines also clearly mentioned that the violations of such guidelines must be taken as a contempt case by the respective High Court of that jurisdiction.
Justice Radha Rani said that the officers had violated the guidelines and sentenced them imprisonment and Rs. 2,000 fine each. The sentence was suspended for six weeks to give an opportunity to the contemnors to file an appeal.
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