SOURCE :- SIASAT NEWS
Hyderabad: An advocate here has filed a writ petition against top police officials in the city and the state over cops allegedly violating investigation laws.
This stems from a couple of cops visiting his client in plain clothes, though the latter is not named in any FIR, and then allegedly snatching his phone without issuing a mandatory search memo, said Vijay Gopal.
Taking to X, the advocate shared that he filed a writ on Friday, October 30, against Telangana DGP, Principal Secretary, Home, Hyderabad Police Commissioner, Hyderabad Cyber Crime, and DCP, Task Force, “and such officers” for performing duties in plainclothes, seizing phones, doing investigation without an FIR, entering houses without warrants, and committing “illegal actions in the name of duty”.
Sharing a video of two men in plain clothes walking into a premises, he reminded the general public that “court warrants are necessary to enter a private property, FIRs are a must, and ACPs have no business authorising search warrants or memos.”
“Colonists have gone, [but they] left behind Indian Police still operating in 1800s and in the name of duty, committing too many illegal activities,” he wrote.
He pointed out that “violating investigation laws is a cognisable offence with up to 3 yrs of jail, and there is no immunity to police for violating laws in the name of duty. Picking up people and beating them is a thing of the Task Force.’
What his complaint is about
Explaining the timeline to Siasat.com, Vijay Gopal said the police first visited his client, who is alleged to have run a gaming app, in September, ‘in civil dress’. He said his client is not even mentioned in any FIR, so he isn’t an accused in the complaint.
They moved the High Court, which instructed the police to investigate in accordance with law. However, cops again visited his client on October 26, the video of which he shared on X.
As shown in the video, Hyderabad Police’s cybercrime cops allegedly visited the client, “snatched away the cellphones… but issued no memos, and all of these activities were done by these personnel in civilian clothes.”
He said the two men who turned up claimed to be police officers, but he couldn’t be sure. He said when his client informed him of the visit, he asked the so-called officers to at least talk to him on the phone, but they refused.
He said this happened despite the court’s instructions, so he has filed a contempt petition as well against the officers mentioned earlier. The writ petition is likely to come up for hearing on Tuesday, November 3.
Alleging that this practice was rampant in Telangana, the advocate pointed out that there is no law that allows cops to perform their official duties in civil clothes. However, if they are forced to do so, “the least you can do is tell people your identity,” he said.
SOURCE : SIASAT
