THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The police department is shying away from publishing the details of the officers who were found guilty of human rights violation or graft in contravention of the High Court directive in this regard. The High Court in March had directed the police to publish the names of the personnel who were found guilty of corruption and rights violation within 30 days from March 20.
The court had also warned that the department cannot mask the names of the cops who were found guilty by the courts or dismissed from service. The High Court had issued the groundbreaking order on a petition moved by the State Crime Records Bureau (SCRB) information officer. The SCRB information officer, who is also a DySP, had approached the court seeking to quash the order of the State Information Officer directing the police to publish the names of the tainted cops.
However, the department failed to publish the names of the erring cops apparently to protect them from being identified by the public. The High Court had made it clear that wrongful confinement, sexual abuse, rape and use of abusive language constituted human rights violation.Sources said the state police chief had summoned the files pertaining to the erring cops, but did not follow it up from there. An insider said the tainted officers wield considerable influence within the force and the delay in publishing the names could have something to do with it.
“As per the report filed by the police before the State Human Rights Commission in 2018, 387 cops were accused in various criminal cases of serious nature. Many of them are still in service and no concrete action has been taken against them. Naturally, it can be assumed that they enjoy patronage of a section of senior officers and politicians,” said the officer.State Police Chief Loknath Behera was not available for comments despite several attempts.