HC closes cases on police complaints panel

The petitions relating to the Police Complaints Committee were closed by the first bench of the Madras High Court on Friday following a submission from the Advocate-General that since the Supreme Court was monitoring the matter, the HC need not pursue the same any more.

When the PIL petitions from retired IPS officer A G Mourya and one Saravanan Dakshinamurthy came up for further hearing today, A-G R Shanmugasundaram told Chief Justice M N Bhandari and Justice N Mala that following a direction from the Supreme Court, the committees had been constituted. While the State-level panel was headed by the Home Secretary with the DGP as a member, the ones in the districts were to be led by the respective Collectors and the SPs as members.

Contending that the panels should be headed only by the retired judges of the High Court and the District Courts, as per the directives of the Supreme Court, the duo had moved the High Court with the present PILs.

The A-G said that since the Apex Court was monitoring the issue, the High Court need not entertain the petitions any more.

And the bench closed the matter after granting liberty to the petitioners to move the Supreme Court with their plea, if they so desire.