Madras HC Directs Recovery Of Salary Paid To Police Officers During Period Of Non-Compliance Of Order

The Madras High Court has directed recovering the salary of two police officers who did not implement a Court order on Non-Bailable Warrant (NBW) against two persons accused in a domestic violence case.

The recent order by Justice P Velmurugan came on a plea by the Petitioner against her in-laws, seeking directions to the first Respondent police to execute the NBW issued by a local Court.

While the duo had filed a petition in the High Court seeking to quash the NBW, the Court had asked the police to execute the warrant and file a compliance report.

The Court that said during the relevant point of time, two women officers, one now working in CCB and another in Uniformed Service Recruitment, had held the post of Inspector of Police of the Respondent police station (W7 All Women Police Station, Anna Nagar) and it was clear they both had not taken any effective steps to comply with the order of this Court and "as a public servant, they have not performed their duty satisfactorily".

"The two delinquent officers mentioned above, being the public servant and getting salary from the public money, did not perform their duty satisfactorily and failed to obey the order of this Court, for which, there is no valid reason offered. Hence, according to this Court, they are not entitled for the salary during their period as Station House Officer in the first Respondent police station," the Judge said.

"Therefore, the Commissioner of Police, Chennai, is directed to take departmental action against the two delinquent officials mentioned above and recover their salary during their period as Station House Officer in the first Respondent police station and remit the same back to the Government of Tamil Nadu, and file an Action Taken Report on the same, before this Court as early as possible preferably before the month of February 2022," he added.

With PTI Inputs