DGP Ashok Kumar issues gag order to unit heads

Chennai: State police chief Ashok Kumar has issued a gag order to various unit heads in his force asking them not to talk to media quoting court orders.

All the officers may also organise in-service training to the police personnel under their control and sensitise them against preventing leakage of vital details to the media, DGP Ashok Kumar said in his circular to his sub-ordinates on Saturday.

Almost 10 days after the high court pulled up the police over publication of a photograph of the suspects in honour killing in Tiruppur DGP Ashok Kumar said high court had taken a serious view of the publication of such photographs.

“The Hon’ble High Court had also observed that publishing photos of the accused in the media will hamper the test identification parade,” he said. Since the witnesses would have a chance to see the accused in the media before going for the test identification parade, that process “will not have much evidentiary value”, the DGP pointed out.

He further said such instances should be avoided strictly and warned of disciplinary action against erring personnel. “It should be avoided strictly... all the unit officers are instructed to strictly adhere to the instructions already issued in this regard and take necessary disciplinary action against the police personnel who expose the identity of the accused or witnesses,” he said.

The court had said “the photograph found in newspapers prima facie shows it was taken when the accused were in police custody. The accused were handcuffed behind. This court has said that should not be done. How this could come in newspapers?” the court had asked. The court also pointed it had issued orders regarding this earlier also.