24 States, 7 UTs constitute Police Complaints Authorities to inquire about complaints of police misconduct

New Delhi: A total of 24 States and seven Union Territories (UTs) have constituted Police Complaints Authorities on redressal mechanism to inquire into the complaints of police misconduct, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) told the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai shared the input while giving a written reply to a question raised by All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MP Asaduddin Owaisi.

As per available information, the Minister said, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep and Puducherry have constituted the Police Complaints Authorities.

The Minister further said that Bihar has constituted the District Accountability Authority for each District.
The Minister further said that "Police" is a State subject falling in List-1 (State List) of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India and that it is primarily the responsibility of the state governments and UT administrations to make the police force efficient and capable and its functioning more effective and transparent.

Rai said that police forces of the States "work within the existing legal and institutional framework in the matter".
"The Supreme Court in its judgement in the matter of Writ Petition (Civil) 310 of 1996 titled Prakash Singh and Ors Vs Union of India and Ors directed to constitute Police Complaints Authority. "Police" being State subject, the aforesaid judgement was forwarded to State Governments/UT Administrations for its implementation."

The reply came as Owaisi asked, "will the Minister of Home Affairs be pleased to state the names of States and Union Territories who have so far constituted Police Complaint Authorities on redressal mechanism to inquire into the complaints of police misconduct". (ANI)