Telangana HC asks for rowdy sheet procedure

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has directed the state’s director general of police to furnish a statement on procedure and parameters that are followed by the police while opening a rowdy sheet or history sheet or suspect sheet against the persons accused of a crime.

The court sought to know whether the police are renewing the rowdy sheet against the persons, mechanical or after conducting scrutiny.
Justice Lalitha Kanneganti issued these directions while dealing with a petition filed by Kavali Raju, against whom a rowdy sheet was opened in 2009, which remains active even after he was acquitted of the crime by the court in 2010.

He brought to the notice of the court that he was accused in only one case in his lifetime and that was closed in 2010, but the police of Kesampet in Ranga Reddy district are harassing him, on the pretext that the rowdy sheet is active against him.

His counsel D.L. Pandu submitted before the court that the police of Kesampet has been acting contrary to the police manual in relation to opening and continuing the rowdy sheet against a person. He submitted that the police had to follow an established procedure every year before the renewal of the rowdy sheet.

Justice Lalitha also observed that there are several petitions that have come up before the court, complaining that the police are opening the rowdy sheet if such person is involved in only one case also. The judge opined that it appears that there was no renewal of the same as required, automatically.

The judge observed, “The court is not able to understand under which law the police are opening the rowdy sheet and the suspect sheet based on one case and continuing the same. ln the majority of cases, the rowdy sheets are opened based on the whims and fancies of the police officers.”

The police manual itself clearly states that the rowdy sheet can be opened against a person, who is a habitual offender. The case was adjourned to July 25, 2022.