HC dismisses PIL on displaying list of arrested persons in

The Madras High Court today dismissed a plea to display the list of arrested persons on notice boards of all Superintendent of Police Offices 'in a transparent manner' and publish particulars of arrested persons on police website.
Justices V Ramasubramanian and N Kirubakaran, dismissing a PIL filed by one C Paulraj, Kanyakumari district secretary of Indian Communist (Marxist-Leninist), said the Supreme Court had given protection to people (who are arrested) under the right to privacy.
"One cannot interfere in that and publish the name of the arrested persons," the bench said.
The petitioner submitted that several family members of arrested persons were forced to go from one police station to the other to get information about those arrested. Very few of them could file Habeas Corpus petitions.

Though he had given a representation to the Home Secretary and the Director General of Police to display the names it had not been done, Paulraj said.
This was despite the Supreme Court in its guidelines suggesting display of names of arrested persons, crime number and other relevant pariculars on the website and police station and SP's office, he submitted.