CHENNAI: Hardening its stand over abolition of orderly system in the State police department, the Madras High Court on Friday said the ‘colonial slavery system’ is a slap on the constitution and democracy.
Justice SM Subramaniam also said no public servant can live in the era of Mughal empire and extract household and menial works from police personnel who are trained to ‘shoot guns’ but are employed for ‘cooking chappatis’ at the residences of higher officials.
Expressing his displeasure over slackness in implementing a G.O. issued in 1979 that abolished the orderly system, the judge said even as we are celebrating our 75th Independence Day and when we are progressing as a vibrant democracy, police officials in Tamil Nadu are following the colonial slavery system.
It had to be inferred that higher police officials are not functioning under the effective administrative control of the government since they are not scrupulously following the G.O. abolishing the orderly system, the judge said.
Impleading the DGP as a respondent, the judge ordered him to file an affidavit regarding complete implementation of the orders of the court and the home secretary by August 18. The judge warned that court will have no other option but to opt for other course of action under the constitution for abolishing the slavery system in police department.
The orders were passed on a petition filed by a police officer who had challenged an order of the department regarding vacating official residential quarters. Additional Advocate General (AAG) P Kumaresan submitted before the court that 19 orderlies have been taken back so far and steps were being taken in this regard.