Purchase latest bare acts of criminal laws for police station: Bombay High Court to Police officer

The Aurangabad Bench of Bombay High Court recently directed a Station House Officer (SHO) to purchase latest bare acts on criminal laws for the police station (Gopinath Galande v. State of Maharashtra)..The officer himself had undertaken to contribute to the High Court library as a goodwill gesture after he failed to respond to an order passed by the High Court due to a faulty fax machine..But the Bench of Justices Ravindra V Ghuge and BU Debadwar asked the police officer to purchase new bare acts for the police station. .The Court was considering a case in which the petitioner, one Gopinath Galande sought a direction to the police Inspector of Vasmat rural police station to take cognizance of a complaint filed by him..The Court had in a previous hearing directed the SHO of Vasmatnagar to respond as to what action was taken on the complaint. Since the SHO failed to remain present in Court, he was directed to deposit Rs. 10,000 as costs from his salary. .Additional Public Prosecutor SJ Salgare however interjected and submitted that since the order was communicated though fax and the machine was dysfunctional, the SHO was never informed of the said order. For this reason, the Court recalled its order of depositing Rs. 10,000 as costs. However, the officer as a goodwill gesture offered that he would donate Rs. 2,500 to the Aurangabad High Court Bar library. .The Court however directed him to purchase latest bare acts for the police station on criminal laws like Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, Indian Evidence Act etc. ."We are of the view that the Station House Officer should purchase latest bare acts on criminal laws like Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, Evidence Act, the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO), the Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2002 (POTA), the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, 1999 (MCOCA), the Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Slumlords, Bootleggers, Drug-Offenders/Dangerous Persons and Video Pirates Act, 1981 (MPDA), the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005 (DV Act), etc., for the Vasmatnagar Rural Police Station," the order said..The Court also directed the officer to transmit a copy of receipt of purchase of books to the prosecutor, who would submit a compliance report to this Court..[Read Order]