Prayagraj : Taking strong exception to the alleged misbehaviour of a police officer with an additional government advocate (AGA), the Allahabad High Court has directed the Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) to issue a circular warning all police officers that any misconduct towards government advocates communicating court orders for compliance would amount to contempt of court and be dealt with strictly in accordance with law.
Taking exception to the conduct of Rajesh Kumar Singh , PRO to Azamgarh SSP, who allegedly misbehaved with an AGA, Justice Arun Kumar Singh Deshwal directed that the PRO be taken into court custody until 5 pm on Monday, after which he was released. The order was passed on Oct 13 while the court was hearing a bail application filed by Sachin Yadav in connection with a 2024 case registered at a police station in Azamgarh under Section 64(1) of the BNS and Sections 66E and 67A of the IT Act for allegedly uploading an obscene video of a rape survivor.
“Whenever they inform any officer about the compliance of the order of this court, they are discharging their duty in compliance with the order of the court, and misbehaving with them by any officer, even the top-most officer of the state, will amount to contempt,” the court observed. The court observed that AGAs are officers of the court discharging duties in furtherance of judicial directions. The SSP informed the bench that he had issued a show-cause notice to Singh and removed him from the post of PRO, prompt action that was appreciated by the court. Taking note of the SSP’s unblemished record and appreciating his humane gesture of adopting the two minor daughters of a deceased suspect, the court closed the matter against him while expressing the expectation that he would be more careful in future. The Registrar (compliance) was directed to send a copy of the order to the UP DGP.