T. Kalaiselvan, Advocate
(Advocate)
06 July 2024
Taking a serious view of cops opening rowdy-sheets against individuals and not closing it for decades together without adhering to laid-down norms in the police manual, the Telangana high court has now asked the state director general of police (DGP) to furnish by July 25 the rules followed by the department in such cases.
The order was given by Justice K Lalitha while hearing a petition by Kavali Raju, village revenue officer of Nandigama in Ranga Reddy district, urging the court to direct the police to close the rowdy-sheet opened against him 13 years ago. Petitioner’s counsel D L Pandu said that despite a fast-track court acquitting Raju in a 2009 case, the Shadnagar police failed to close the rowdy-sheet against him though there has been no fresh cases against him since the acquittal in 2010. The judge directed the DGP to explain the reasons for continuing the rowdy-sheet for more than a decade.
“Though the police are duty-bound to renew or drop rowdy-sheets once every year, this norm was ignored. Rowdy-sheets are opened based on whims and fancies of cops.