HYDERABAD: The High Court has given one final opportunity to Telangana state and Andhra Pradesh to comply with the orders passed earlier by it and the Supreme Court regarding constitution of a State Security Commission (SSC) and a Police Complaints Authority (PCA). The panels are meant for redressal of public grievances with respect to abuse of power by police personnel.
SSC is state-level panel which will look into grievances against higher-rank police officials with a retired judge of either the Supreme Court or High Court as the chair whereas PCA is a district-level panel, which will look into complaints againt SIs, CIs, DSPs and ranks below the SP cadre. The apex court had in 2006 directed all state governments to constitute the panels in a landmark judgment in the Prakash Singh case that also resulted in the Supreme Court coming up with guidelines to bring in police reforms.
In one of the petitions on non-implementation of the Supreme Court orders, the then Hyderabad High Court had in 2016 directed the constitution of SSC and PCA within two months. When the States failed to adhere to the directions, the High Court initiated a suo-motu contempt case against both States in 2017.
On January 21 of this year, the High Court gave four weeks to the governments to comply with the orders. However, both sought another two months.
Telangana state Advocate-General B.S. Prasad informed the court that the constitution of SSC had been completed and a chairperson was to be appointed from the lists of retired judges suggested by the High Court.
Andhra Pradesh special counsel Govinda Reddy informed that guidelines and rules had been framed but sought more time to appoint heads of the panels.
The bench expressed dissatisfaction at the attitude of the governments and directed that the last opportunity of four weeks be given to complete the process, failing which it call for the appearance of secretaries of Telangana state and Andhra Pradesh home departments to explain reasons for the delay.
