'Police Stations Have Become A Place Of Commercial Activities': Allahabad High Court Orders DGP Inquiry Over Cop's Transport Business

The Allahabad High Court on Monday directed the UP DGP to conduct an inquiry into a Ballia police constable's alleged transport business. Observing that police stations have become places of commercial activity, the Court said that policemen are "constantly busy in commercial activities rather than maintaining law and order in the State".

A bench of Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal also directed the DGP and the Additional Chief Secretary (Home), Uttar Pradesh, to initiate disciplinary proceedings against all police officials and constables of Rasra Police Station (in Ballia District).

The DGP has been directed to file an affidavit before the Court detailing the action taken within 10 days.

The observations were made while hearing a petition regarding the blacklisting of the petitioner's (Harendra Yadav) truck by the Assistant Regional Transport Officer (ARTO), Ballia.

The blacklisting was done based on a report submitted by a Sub-Inspector concerning an ownership dispute between the petitioner and the respondent (Santosh Kumar), a constable posted at Police Station Rasra.

During the hearing, the Court interacted with the constable, who stated that he had withdrawn money from his GPF account and had started business with the petitioner in the name of his brother. A truck was purchased and operated by the petitioner.

The Court found that the ARTO had blacklisted the vehicle solely on the basis of the report submitted by SI Shiv Murti Tiwari regarding the ownership dispute.

It was further noted by the single judge that in his affidavit, the Superintendent of Police, Ballia, had nowhere stated that any action had been taken against the constable for running a transport business while posted at the police station.

Expressing shock over the state of affairs, the Court observed thus:

"This Court is shocked that police stations have become a place of commercial activities and policemen are indulging in business activities rather maintaining law and order in the State. If this be the condition then no law and order could be maintained as police stations have become a place of business".

The Court further observed that the officer in charge of Police Station Rasra and the Superintendent of Police, Ballia, had "protected the constable" by submitting a report in his favor to ARTO, Ballia, who had blacklisted the vehicle and had restrained the transfer of the vehicle in question.

Against this backdrop, the bench remarked that the entire Police Station in question appears to be involved in commercial activity, as was apparent from the affidavit filed by various authorities and the averments made therein.

Accordingly, the Court directed the DGP to inquire into the commercial activities allegedly taking place at Police Station Rasra and ordered disciplinary proceedings against all police officials and constables posted there.

The matter is posted for a further hearing on August 11.