D.K Basu V State of West Bengal, 1997 ||Case Summary
Introduction
In this Case, the Court laid down basic 'requirements' to be followed in all cases of arrest or detention as a measure to prevent Custodial Violence.
Court Order
- The Police Officer shall in cases where the arrest of a person is not required under Section 41 A (1) issue notice, directing the person against whom reasonable suspicion exist, to appear before police officer.
- Every Police Officer while making an arrest shall bear an visible identification as said in Section 41 B (a) of CRPC, 1973.
- As given in Section 41(B)(b) every Police Officer while making an arrest shall prepare a memo of arrest which shall be (i) attested by at least one witness (family member or respectable person), and (ii) countersigned by the person arrested.
- Arrested person have the right to inform his relatives or friends unless the memorandum is attested by the family of the person arrested as per Section 41(B)(C)
- The State Government shall establish a Police Control Room - (a) in every district, and (b) at State level as per Section 41(C)(1).
- The State Government shall display on the notice board kept outside the control room the name and address of the person arrested and the name and designation of the Police Officer who made the arrests as per Section 41 (C)(2) .
- On the time of arrest, person shall be examined by a Medical Officer in the service of Central or State Government, in case medical officer is not available on the time of arrest, he shall be examined soon after arrest as per Section 54(1).
- As per Section 41 D arrested person has right to meet an advocate of his choice during interrogation.
- The Control room at the Police Headquarter at the State level, shall collect from time to time details about the person arrested as given in the Section 41 (C) .
- Copies of all the documents including the memo of arrest, should be sent to the Ilaqa Magistrate for his record.
- During the detention, the arrestee should be subjected to Medical examination in every 48 hours by a trained doctor.
- The Court said failure of above guideline will be consider Contempt of Court under Article 129 of the Constitution.
- The requirement mentioned above shall be forward to the DGP and the Home Secretary of every State and U. T and the Court directed to forward the same to all the Police Station.
- The Court also informed to broadcast on All India Radio such requirements which can help to curb custodial violence if not completely eliminate.
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