Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh police came under fire on Friday with the Allahabad High Court saying its officers were regularly pressuring judges, particularly chief judicial magistrates (CJMs), to pass favourable orders.
During a virtual hearing attended by the state’s DGP Rajiv Krishna and Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sanjay Prasad, the high court said it could not allow UP to turn into a police state.
Addressing the state counsel, he remarked, “Dekhiye isko na police State nai banane dena (See, we can’t allow this to become a police state),” Justice Arun Kumar Singh Deshwal told the state counsel.
The DGP and Additional Chief Secretary were asked to explain the steps taken to curb the rising trend of police shooting accused in the legs, Bar and Bench reported.
The court also noted a worrying trend of police, especially younger officers, pressuring judicial officers to secure specific orders across the state.
“Each and every district, law is not being followed. I have not come across a single case where law or direction of the apex court has been followed,” Justice Deshwal said.
He further said that whenever judges questioned police actions, disagreements between district police chiefs and judicial officers had become routine.
Such disputes, the court said, often escalated into direct pressure being exerted by superintendents of police on judicial officers for specific orders.
So much so that a CJM had to be transferred “just to stop this tussle”, the judge revealed.
The court inputs from bar association leaders had been received about senior police officers sometimes entering courtrooms to influence judicial proceedings.
The high court stressed the importance for mutual respect, saying that police officers must not see themselves as superior to judges.
The court warned that such conduct will ultimately harm ordinary citizens.
