CID chief pleads against contempt move

HYDERABAD: Five days after the AP High Court directed its registrar to initiate suo motu criminal contempt proceedings under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, against director general of police (DGP) V Dinesh Reddy and additional DGP, CID, SV Ramana Murthy, the CID chief, on Tuesday filed writ appeals in the High Court against the single judge order. He filed appeals in his personal capacity and also in official capacity.  However, contrary to reports, Dinesh Reddy has so far not gone in for an appeal.

It may be recalled that justice Ramesh Ranganathan of the AP High Court, dealing with the controversy between two senior IPS officers--Dinesh Reddy and Umesh Kumar--had pulled up the present appellant for filing a false affidavit and suppressing material facts and observed that it amounted to criminal contempt of court.

In his petition, Ramana Murthy said the single judge failed to see that the CID is an independent organisation in so far as investigation is concerned. The fourth respondent (DGP) has no role whatsoever in the investigation, he said.

Quoting rules 861-1, sub-clause E, and 861, sub-clause 2, of the AP Police Manual (APPM), the CID chief said the CID was an independent agency. He said the judge was misled and misdirected by the petitioner (Umesh Kumar).

He said the DGP had no control over him in the matter of investigation even though the protocol norms refer the 4th respondent (Dinesh Reddy) as the Head of Police Force (HoPF). He will have only general control and supervision.

“The fourth respondent (Dinesh Reddy) may be an officer senior to the head of CID, but still has no control whatsoever in the investigation. The single judge failed to differentiate between the administrative and investigative control of the DGP over additional DGP, CID, and the same resulted in the miscarriage of justice. The judge failed to closely scrutinise the counter affidavit,’’ Ramana Murthy said.