‘How can policemen trained to use guns be forced to cook hot dosas and chappatis?’ Madras HC questions orderly system in Police

Says, it’s painful to pen existence of orderly system during 75 years of Independence

The Madras High Court on Friday said that it was painful to pen down the existence of the colonial orderly system in the police department in Tamil Nadu even when the country is celebrating completion of 75 years of Independence.

Justice S.M. Subramaniam said the continued use of trained police personnel in the residences of top police officers for performing household and menial work, at the cost of the taxpayers' money, was nothing but a slap on the Constitution.

The judge wondered how could the policemen trained to shoot with guns be ultimately used to cook hot dosas and chappatis for the Indian Police Service officers and their family members on deputation as orderlies.

Suo motu, he impleaded the Director General of Police (DGP) as a respondent to a case pending before him and directed the officer to file a report by August 18 listing out the effective action taken to abolish the orderly system in letter and spirit.

He also warned that the court would be constrained to take other constitutional course available to it if the DGP failed to take stringent action to withdraw every police personnel deputed as an orderly in the residences of top cops.

The judge told Additional Advocate General P. Kumaresan that the DGP must actually strive to abolish the orderly system by August 15 ( Independence Day) itself and let his department's flag fly high before joining the nation in hoisting the national flag.

Earlier, the judge expressed displeasure over a report filed in court stating that only 19 orderlies had been withdrawn despite the court having given six weeks time to abolish the orderly system in toto. He said, the action was insufficient.