Dismayed at govt lethargy, HC orders functional SSC and PCAs in two months

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Friday expressed concern at the state government for reducing State Security Commission (SSC) and Police Complaints Authority (PCA) at the district level to paper tigers.

Although established two years back, till date they have not protected people from blatant atrocities committed by the police, it lamented.

Giving one last chance to make the bodies serve the purpose for which they were constituted, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice N. Tukaramji directed the state government to ensure that the two would be provided appropriate office space, sufficient vehicles and staff within two months.

The bench was adjudicating a suo motu PIL by converting the letter of M. Padmanabha Reddy, secretary of Forum for good governance, who brought to the notice of the court that the state government had constituted SSC and a police complaint cell on July 7, 2021 by nominating a few people. However, neither took-off, he said.

On the issue of police reforms, abuse of power and their continued atrocities on innocent people, the Supreme Court had in 2006 issued guidelines to all state governments and mandated them to have SSC and PCA to look into complaints against police officers, including CIs, SIs and constables.

Incidentally, several PILs were filed at the undivided AP High Court on non-compliance of Supreme Court orders in this regard. Following contempt cases against it, the Telangana government established SSC and PCA, albeit on paper.

The SSC was constituted in 2021 with the home minister as ex-officio chairperson, the DGP as the ex-officio secretary apart from a representative of the state human rights commission, the chief secretary and two others as members. The State government also appointed panel members for the state police complaints authority, district police complaints authorities and commissionerates of Hyderabad and Warangal regions. But they were not provided any office space or staff.

When this was questioned by the High Court, government pleader A. Santosh Kumar informed the court that the state has taken steps to constitute the two bodies and furnished a copy of the proposal sent by the DGP, seeking secretarial staff for the state security commission. The government counsel said that SSC would become functional soon after the government approves the proposal. Further, he sought three months to furnish information pertaining to the establishment of the offices of SSC and PCA and the stage of their functioning.

The bench expressed displeasure with the submissions of the government counsel and questioned the use of establishing such bodies that did not have real existence.

The Chief Justice pointed out that every day the High Court is being flooded with petitions against police highhandedness. It is only after SSC and PCA come into force that the common people may go to them and not approach the courts with their complaints, he said.

The bench subsequently adjourned the case to August 24.