The higher rank police officers, including in the cadre of superintendent of police, deputy superintendent of police, and assistant superintendent of police, will soon undergo an orientation programme at the Karnataka Judicial Academy for understanding of law, Director-General and Inspector-General of Police Praveen Sood told the High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday.
Also, workshops would be conducted to create awareness among all station house officers (SHOs) and the investigation officers (IOs) on the procedures for registration of the first information reports (FIRs) laid down by the Supreme Court in Lalitha Kumar vs. U.P. and other judgments, and on the provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act, and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The State police chief has filed an affidavit in this regard before a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Ashok S. Kinagi during the hearing of PIL petitions related to implementation of the provisions of the POCSO Act and the JJ Act.
Orientation programme for the higher rank police officers and the investigating officers are being proposed after the court pulled up a few superintendents of police for submitting reports that there were no instances of child pornography in any the homes for children as mentioned in a report of the Ministry of Women and Child Development without registering FIRs though child pornography is a congnisable offence. It has also been stated in the affidavit that a new circular was issued on March 3, 2020 directing the SHOs to register FIRs when the cognisable offences are made out in the complaints failing which criminal action would be initiated against them under Section 166 (for disobeying law) or 166A (disobeying direction under law) of the Indian Penal Code.
However, the Bench said that circular had to be modified making it clear the FIRs should be registered immediately when complaints make out cognisable offence.
