A day after a father and his son died due to alleged police excesses in Thoothukudi district, Director General of Police J.K. Tripathy has issued fresh guidelines to be followed for arrest/remand of accused persons.
The move also follows instances where suspects arrested by the police tested positive for COVID-19, while in judicial custody, and subsequently the police personnel involved in the process also tested positive for the virus. Recurrence of such incidents would affect the police department as it would result in inadequate staff to run the police stations, he said.
Mr. Tripathy directed Commissioners/Superintendents of Police to identify a Detention-cum-Production Centre in all sub-divisions with adequate facilities. Those arrested in non-bailable offences should be taken to the Detention-cum-Production Centre and not to police stations. A police team should bring such accused persons to the Centre after conducting post-arrest medical check, including screening for COVID-19.
Since the Madras High Court had issued directions that electronic video linkage could be deployed for producing accused before the court, senior police officers should make necessary arrangements by coordinating with the judicial officers. Those arrested for bailable offences should be released immediately on bail.
If non-bailable offences where arrest is planned, minimum number of police personnel should be involved and all precautions like wearing of PPE should be ensured by senior police officers. If the accused person is remanded in judicial custody by the court, he/she should be taken to the earmarked prison and it would be incumbent on the police department to conduct the COVID-19 test before handing over the accused to the prison authorities, the DGP said.
