Delhi govt failed to set up police complaint authority:HC told

The Delhi High Court today sought the Centre's response on a PIL alleging that the city government "failed" to establish an effective police complaint authority for looking into complaints against erring policemen as directed by the Supreme Court in 2006.
A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath issued notice to Ministry of Home Affairs, Delhi government, Lt Governor, Commissioner of Police and the Public Grievances Commission (PGC) and sought their replies by November 2 on the plea by an NGO.
Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative sought quashing of the Delhi government's February 27, 2012 decision by which it designated the PGC here as a police complaint authority (PCA) for the national capital territory.

The NGO claimed that the government's decision was in violation of the Supreme Court's 2006 directive for bringing about police reforms and sought that the city government be directed to establish new PCAs in Delhi.
It also said that the PGC cannot function as a PCA as envisaged by the apex court as the commission's composition is in variance with that of the complaint authority.
The NGO sought directions to the ministry and Delhi government to "provide complete and adequate infrastructure and resources to the newly established PCAs" when they would be set up.

According to the NGO, the apex court had in September 2006 issued several directives to the central and state governments in lieu of police reforms and one of them envisaged establishment of PCAs at the district and state levels.

It said the governments were directed to comply with the directives by December 2006 and in May 2008 the apex court had set up a committee under Justice K T Thomas to monitor the implementation of its order.
The Centre had in March 2010 directed the Delhi government and other Union Territories to set up PCAs, the petition said and added that the city government had in 2012 designated the PGC as PCA.