Acquittal would not automatically entitle one to join police force: SC

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said acquittal by an individual in a criminal case would not automatically entitle him for employment in the police department as a person joining a disciplined force must be a man of utmost rectitude with impeccable character and integrity.

"If a person is acquitted giving him the benefit of doubt, from the charge of an offence involving moral turpitude or because the witnesses turned hostile, it would not automatically entitle him for the employment, that too in disciplined force," a bench of Justices Indira Banerjee and J K Maheshwari said.

The top court explained that the employer cannot be compelled to give an appointment to a candidate merely on the basis of disclosure of the offences alleged and the result of the trial.

"One who wishes to join the police force must be a person of utmost rectitude and have impeccable character and integrity. A person having a criminal antecedents would not be fit in this category. The employer is having the right to consider the nature of acquittal or decide until he is completely exonerated because even a possibility of his taking to the life of crimes poses a threat to the discipline of the police force," the bench said.

The top court allowed an appeal filed by the Union government and set aside the Madhya Pradesh High Court's orders of 2013 for giving an opportunity of training and all consequential benefits to Methu Meda as a constable in the Central Industrial Security Force.

The candidate, after his selection, was found not eligible for appointment by the standing screening committee in view of a criminal case related to kidnapping for ransom of the year 2009, though he was acquitted as the main witness turned hostile.

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