HC: Police laxity will soon compete with Bihar, Jharkhand

The Karnataka High Court orally observed that if the state police fails to take action on complaints of citizens, it will soon be competing with states like Bihar and Jharkhand that are known for increased crime rates due to police inaction.

The court also pulled up the police for their lackadaisical attitude in taking action against criminals. It also observed that a large number of petitions were being filed in the high court questioning their inaction.

Justice Raghavendra Chauhan was hearing a petition filed by Kanthaiah, a resident of Tumakuru who had moved the court challenging the inaction of police over repeated complaints by the petitioner.

The court directed the inspector general of police (IGP) who was present before the court to submit the records of complaints filed by the petitioner between 2014 and 2016 and also asked the police to file an FIR against the accused and begin the investigation proceedings.

Thereafter, a charge sheet can be filed after relevant findings against the accused. The court adjourned the matter for hearing.

The petitioner has moved the court stating that the police has failed to take any action despite five complaints filed by the petitioner between 2014 and 2016 stating that his brother has threatened him with dire consequences over a property dispute.

The police submitted before the court that it has not taken action as this was a civil dispute. To this, the court orally observed that even property disputes can lead to a murder. So will the police wait for a murder to be committed before taking any action?

The court also questioned as to why the police did not intimate the Executive Magistrate about the case so that the actions of the accused could have been monitored.

The court further stated that the police has to work in tandem with the Executive Magistrate in such cases.

The court observed that in the last complaint filed by the petitioner in 2016, the police failed to register an First Information Report that led to the petitioner running from pillar to post .

The court directed the IGP to submit his report with regard to a record of all complaints filed by the petitioner and the action taken by the police in response to the same in the next date of hearing.

The matter was adjourned for hearing to May 26.