The Allahabad High Court revealed that UP police often pressure judges, especially CJMs, to deliver specific rulings. The Court warned, “Dekhiye isko na police State nai banane dena (We can’t allow this).”
The Allahabad High Court made announcement on Friday, revealing that police officers in Uttar Pradesh frequently exert pressure on judges, particularly chief judicial magistrates (CJMs), to issue specific rulings.
Justice Arun Kumar Singh Deshwal expressed to the State counsel that the court must prevent Uttar Pradesh from becoming a police state,
“Dekhiye isko na police State nai banane dena [See, we can’t allow this to become a police State].”
These comments were directed at Director General of Police (DGP) Rajiv Krishna and Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sanjay Prasad during a video-conferenced hearing.
The officers were called to explain what measures are being taken to address the alarming trend of the Uttar Pradesh police shooting suspects in their legs.
During the discussion, the court noted that particularly newer officers were pressuring judges in district courts.
The court remarked,
“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. Sometimes, this has become a bone of contention, a dispute between the district police chief and judicial officer. Whenever the judicial officer or CJM asks…you must be aware regarding some incident of some district…Whenever the judicial officer or CJM asks why don’t comply, then tussle starts between the Superintendent of Police (SP) and judicial officer. This [has] become a routine feature that the SP starts pressurising the judicial officer for a particular order.”
Justice Deshwal mentioned that to halt this ongoing conflict, a CJM was reassigned.
However, he clarified that the issue of police overreach is not confined to any specific district,
“It is not about a particular district. In most of the districts, I got feedback from district judges that especially young police officers, being IPS officers, start pressurising judicial officers. If they are not satisfied, they can file revision before the district judge or challenge the order.”
Additionally, the court stated it had received reports from bar association leaders indicating that senior police officers sometimes enter the courtroom and exert pressure on judicial officers.
Justice Deshwal emphasized the need for mutual respect between police and judicial personnel, warning that failures in this regard would ultimately harm the public.
The court further asserted that a police officer should not consider themselves superior to a judicial officer.
The court highlighted,
“Once a judicial officer is sitting on the dais, he may be a junior division officer, he is above all persons in front of him,”
He also disclosed that he had instructed trial judges not to rise from their seats in court during his inspections.
Justice Deshwal noted,
“At that time, in protocol, he is above to me,”
DGP Krishna assured the court that appropriate instructions would be issued to ensure adherence to proper protocol if it was found lacking.
Krishna declared,
“Majesty of law is supreme, there is no doubt about that,”
The court underscored that conflicts born from egos between police and judicial officers are counterproductive.
With DGP Krishna acknowledging that the police must operate strictly within legal boundaries, the court affirmed,
“Power to punish is in the domain of judiciary and not with the police,”