MADURAI: Criticising constant delays on part of investigation officers in rectifying defects in returned chargesheets and representing them before the respective lower courts, the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court recently directed the Kanniyakumari Superintendent of Police to initiate departmental action against a sub-inspector for failing to represent a returned chargesheet in a 2022 case for nearly three years.
Justice L Victoria Gowri passed the order on a petition filed by S Murari, seeking direction to the Additional Mahila Court, Kanniyakumari, to take the chargesheet filed against him in the above case on file and number the same.
South Thamaraikulam police registered the case against him on charges of trespassing into a woman's property, verbally abusing and intimidating her, among others. Though the police filed a chargesheet in December 2022, the same was returned by the court the following month for rectifying certain defects.
However, the sub-inspector concerned failed to rectify the defects and represent it before the court, and the case has been pending for the past three years, the judge noted. "This is not the first case where this court is noticing such dereliction of duty on the part of investigating officers," she observed, and allowed the petition with the above direction.