The Madras High Court has declined to stay an order of the Commissioner of Police directing house owners and landlords to inform police about details of their tenants.
On a petition filed by an advocate P Pugalenthi, the First Bench, comprising Chief Justice R.K.Agrawal and Justice K. Ravichandra Babu, ordered issue of notice to the Police Commissioner returnable by two weeks.
The Police Commissioner had passed an order directing all the landlords/house owners/lessors under jurisdiction of Chennai City to furnish particulars of their tenants to the Jurisdictional Station House officer which was challenged by the petitioner.
Also Read
The petitioner submitted no authority under section 144 CrPc can direct any citizen to turn as a informant to police.
Compelling a section of citizens to collect information from another section for whatever purpose would be violative of Article 14 and 21 of the Constitution, the petitioner said and prayed to quash the order.
