The Madras High Court on Tuesday directed the Tamil Nadu government, the Director-General of Police and the Commissioner of the Greater Chennai Police to ensure that a 1979 Government Order abolishing the orderly system gets implemented in letter and spirit in the next four months and that no police personnel is made to do household work at the residences of top officers.
Justice S.M. Subramaniam also directed the government and the two heads of the department to withdraw the orderlies forthwith “as it amounts to an illegality”. He ordered that a detailed inquiry be conducted, followed by disciplinary action, on receipt of complaints of misconduct against higher police officers from any person.
The government was also directed to identify all those in illegal occupation of police residential quarters and evict them. The orders were passed while the court was disposing of a 2014 writ petition filed by Deputy Superintendent of Police U. Manickavel who had not vacated the residential quarters in Chennai even after several years since his transfer to Kancheepuram district.
During the course of hearing of the writ petition, the judge had questioned the government for not taking action against top police officers who engage trained police personnel for household work, despite the 1979 GO, and those who use black sun films even on official motor vehicles, despite a ban imposed by the Supreme Court on their use.
He also passed a few interim orders since June this year leading to the Home Secretary as well as the DGP swinging into action by issuing circulars against the use of policemen, deputed for official work at the camp/home offices of top police officers, for household and menial work. The DGP also obtained written undertakings from the higher officers.
After recording the action taken so far, Justice Subramaniam passed final orders on Tuesday and pointed out that the 1979 GO itself provides for appointment of non-police personnel as residential assistants to perform household work at the residences of top officers. Therefore, he asked the DGP to submit a proposal in that regard to the government.
