A decade since the Supreme Court asked states to set up a grievance body agains the police, Maharashtra has failed to do so
Nearly a decade after the Supreme Court asked states to set up police complaints authority to address grievances against the police, the Maharashtra Home Department is struggling with sanctions for furniture, office space and finances to start it.
In May 2015, under fire from the Bombay High Court for delays, the department even appointed a body and its members on paper, but the office has still not been made functional. This callousness is despite Maharashtra being one of the states with the highest number cases of custodial deaths.
On October 19, the home department told the Bombay High Court that the office for the State Police Complaint Authority, with furniture and other equipment was ready and the Member Secretary, State Complaint Authority had been instructed to take over possession of office premises. However, sources said this again was an eyewash, and the office continues to be non-functional.
According to the Supreme Court order, states were also to set up one such office at each district level. Going by the status report
filed by the government in the court on October 19, the district offices are an even more distant dream. The report claims that the space for offices for the Divisional Complaint Authority at Nasik, Nagpur and Aurangabad has
just been identified and authorities are now working on proposal to procure furniture and other equipments.
“To carry out the works, necessary procedure and requirements like issuance of e-tender etc. will be done on priority hoping that works will be completed approximately within three months,” reads the report.
However, for other districts at Konkan, Amravati and Pune, the concerned Divisional Commissioners have been sent a reminder to expedite the process of “identifying the office space” for the authorities.
“The proposal regarding appointment of chairperson and members on Divisional Complaint Authority at above places is being submitted to Government simultaneously,” the report adds.
The status report was filed by the government in response to the Bombay High Court order passed on October 17 wherein the court asked the home secretary, finance secretary and the secretary to the chief minister to remain present in court on October 19 to apprise it with the status of these authorities.
“It is very unfortunate that Maharashtra failed to constitute a State Police Complaint Authorities and a Division Level Police Complaint Authorities. The state government has issued a resolution in 2008 for constituting a state level and a district level police complaints authority. For several months this Court has been issuing necessary directions and making observations pointing out the urgent need to constitute the authority on behalf of the state.
Statements were made from time to time assuring the Court that such authorities would be constituted,” the Bombay High Court noted on October 17, 2016.
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