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Ludhiana | GRP officials told to avoid mention of caste in memos, FIRs
Citing a Punjab and Haryana High Court judgement, the special director general of police railways has directed officials of the GRP officials to avoid mention of person’s caste in memos, FIRs, seizure memos, inquest papers and other forms prescribed under the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, and Punjab Police Rule
Ludhiana Adhering to the guidelines issued by the director general of police (DGP), Punjab, special DGP railways has directed officials of the Government Railway Police (GRP) to not mention the caste of the any accused, victim or witness in the recovery memos, FIRs, seizure memos, inquest papers and other forms prescribed under the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, and Punjab Police Rule. The same was done to put an end to discrimination based on grounds of caste.
In the orders, DGP Railways referred to a judgment of the Punjab and Haryana High Court dated March 25, 2019.
While disposing the Rakesh Kumar and others versus State of Haryana case, the High Court had directed the secretaries (Home) to the government of Punjab, Haryana and union territory Chandigarh to issue instructions to all investigating officers not to state the caste of the accused, victims or witnesses in recovery memos and FIRs.
“The Registrar General of this court is also directed to issue instructions to all the Judicial Officers to follow the aforesaid directions while dealing with cases. We should, as a public policy, shun the caste system”, the court order read.
The senior GRP officials have strictly been asked to ensure the compliance of the orders.
A senior railway official in Ludhiana, appreciating the move, said mentioning the caste of the accused in the FIRs often impacts the cases. “At times a crime committed by the person gets a communal twist which is not the case all the time. To avoid such communal tension, this move will really be beneficial,” he added.
Another officer privy to the directions echoed the sentiment, saying the new orders would ensure the fair probe, “It is usually mentioned in the complaints that ‘a Dalit victim’ or the victim is a ‘SC’, which is unnecessary and should definitely be avoided.”
“Even the media should refrain from mentioning the caste of the person in the report. Since the law is equal for everyone, the investigation of the legal proceedings should not be influenced by the caste of the person. Strict instructions have been given to the policemen here to refrain from mentioning the caste of the person,” the official added.
