Uttarakhand High Court asks state govt to explain delay in phasing out revenue police system
DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand High Court has asked the state government to respond within four weeks to a contempt petition that accuses it of ignoring earlier court orders to phase out the revenue police system and set up regular police stations in certain areas.
Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari of the single-judge bench heard the petition filed by Haldwani resident Amit Kholia. He alleged that the state government has not implemented the court's May 2023 order to end the revenue police system.
"The government had assured the court that it would take steps to establish regular police stations in areas where the revenue police system is currently in place. However, no significant progress has been made in this regard," Kholia's petition stated.
The petition pointed out that the Supreme Court had, back in 2004, underlined the need to do away with the revenue police system, as its personnel lacked proper training and modern facilities. "Revenue police personnel are not trained like civil police and lack basic facilities like forensic investigation, DNA testing, and fingerprint analysis," it stated.
The High Court had issued similar directions in 2018, but those too were not followed. The matter has drawn renewed attention after the Ankita Bhandari murder case, which raised serious concerns about the effectiveness of the revenue police. In response, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had ordered steps to quickly transfer control from the revenue police to the regular police.
The revenue police system, which still exists in some parts of Uttarakhand, dates back to the British era. Under this system, local revenue officials have to perform police duties, including maintaining law and order and investigating crimes. Critics argue that the system is outdated and ineffective, and that regular police forces are needed for better law enforcement.
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