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News India Live, Digital Desk: Bihar Police is once again in the headlines, but this time the reason is not bravery but contempt of the Supreme Court. The court has expressed deep displeasure over the attitude of Bihar Police in violating the ‘guidelines’ issued by the Supreme Court regarding the privacy and human rights of the accused.
What is that order of the Supreme Court? (The Privacy Rule)
Supreme Court ‘Arnab Goswami vs Union of India’ and made clear in other matters that:
Hiding Identity: Unless a person is proven guilty, the police cannot make his photo, name or personal information public in the media.
Ban on media trials: The police were instructed not to ‘parade’ the accused before filing the charge sheet, as this affects the dignity of the accused as well as the judicial process (Pee-Identification).
Where did Bihar Police go wrong?
In the latest case, reports emerged from several districts of Bihar where the police:
of the accused immediately after their arrest Photo without covering face Issued on social media and press release.
confidential parts of the case diary or confessions of the accused (Confessions) were leaked to the media.
Ignored the orders of the Supreme Court which said that ‘selective leaks’ should be avoided during the investigation.
Strict stance of the court and clarification of the police
The Supreme Court has sought reply from Bihar government and DGP in this matter. The court has asked why despite repeated instructions, changes were not made in the police manual?
Action: According to sources, the in-charges of some police stations and responsible police officers may be held accountable for this negligence.
Police argument: Police officials say that they do this to ‘instill confidence in the public’ and ‘instill fear among criminals’, but the court has termed it as ‘anarchy’.
What will change now?
After this controversy, Bihar Police Headquarters has issued new instructions to the SPs of all the districts:
Now the accused will not be presented before the media during the press briefing.
It will be mandatory to ‘blur’ the face of the accused in social media posts.
Only that information will be given which does not affect the investigation.
