E-Paper
Madras high court tells Tamil Nadu govt to eradicate ‘orderly system’ in four months
Policemen doing household and menial works in residences of top police officials are known as “orderlies”.
The Madras high court on Tuesday directed the Tamil Nadu government and the police department to ensure that the practice of the “orderly system” is eradicated in entirety within the next four months.
Policemen doing household and menial works in residences of top police officials are known as “orderlies”.
“Though these police personnel are working as menials in the residence of the higher police officials, they are to be construed as oppressed and depressed class amongst the homogeneous class of uniformed personnel and the constitutional courts, as the protector of the Constitution, is expected to raise voice for such voiceless police…,” said the high court.
The rights of the people are also infringed, the court observed, on account of the large-scale abuse and misuse of power by the higher police officials by not utilising the trained uniformed personnel for performing their public duties.
The judgement was passed by Justice SM Subramaniam on a plea by petitioner U Manickavel, relating to an unauthorised occupation of the official police quarters by the higher official for several years and that they are maintaining the orderly system.
“...Both together the concept of organised misconducts by the police higher officials are to be dealt with, in view of the fact that the last grade uniformed personnel are voiceless and there is no possibility of registering a complaint against the higher police officials by the last grade police personnel,” the court said. “State, though abolished the orderly system in 1979, miserably failed to implement the same till today.”
During the hearing of the case, when the court raised questions, Tamil Nadu’s home department and DGP Sylendra Babu issued a circular against using police personnel as orderlies.
The DGP, who filed a counter affidavit, assured the high court that the court’s view will be followed and gave an undertaking that none of them on duty in his residence for security, wireless operations are being given any other work.
It was also brought to the notice of the court that no action was taken against higher police officials committing several such offences.
