HC concerned over politicisation of bureaucracy, police

Allahabad, Aug 20 (UNI) Allahabad High Court today ruled that an FIR could not be quashed or arrest stayed merely on an allegation of malice against the new government.

Moreover, the bench, while dismissing the writ petition of the petitioners, observed a very unfortunate tendency of politicisation of bureaucracy and police was going on these days.

''We see the readiness of the current police machinery to lodge frivolous and vindictive FIRs against political rivals of the current political leadership.'' Passing this order on a writ petition filed by Jasvir Yadav and others, the bench comprising Justices Amar Saran and Shiv Shankar remarked the law and order must be administered on an independent assessment on the fact of each case by the bureaucratic and police administration.

''It is sad, when the police or bureaucratic officials, who have a security of tenure but no lien on any post, just to remain in what they regard as ''creamy posts do anything ethical or unethical to favour the then political masters.'' The allegations against the petitioner in the FIR were that they had damaged and desecrated the statues of Dr B R Ambedkar and Gautam Buddha and also used caste derogatory words against the informant and others, who belonged to SC community in village Takaria, district Pilibhit.

The FIR was lodged at police station Bilsand, Pilibhit.

The court before dismissing the writ, further observed ''we see rampant growth of intolerance and attacks towards beliefs, practices and symbols held sacred by people belonging to other groups. Such intolerance will spell the death of our democratic system.

''Widespread and deliberate attempts to damage and defile the objects and symbols, which are considered sacred by another class of people are made as a result of which communal and other conflicts result and social order is disturbed.'' UNI