Himachal Assembly Enacts Bill Requiring Government Approval for Public Servant Arrests
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Dharamsala, Dec 20 (NationPress) The Himachal Pradesh Assembly has successfully passed the Himachal Pradesh Police (Amendment) Bill 2024, which establishes a requirement for police to obtain government approval before making any arrests of public servants.
This amendment modifies Section 65 of the existing Act, stipulating that no police officer is permitted to arrest a public servant for actions performed while fulfilling their official duties without prior consent from the government.
The Bill was initially introduced by Chief Minister Sukhwinder Sukhu on Wednesday.
During discussions, the Chief Minister, who also oversees the Home portfolio, emphasized that the government does not intend to infringe upon the Indian Justice Code, or Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), through this amendment.
He reassured that the vigilance bureau and police would maintain their enforcement actions against corruption, such as bribery, as they have in the past. He criticized the Opposition for their undue concerns regarding the Bill and asserted that this amendment aims to rectify existing deficiencies in the system.
Concerns were raised by BJP members Randhir Sharma and Trilok Jamwal, who expressed fears that the amendment might enable the government to misuse its power over public servants, branding it as an attempt to protect those engaged in corrupt practices.
Jamwal argued that the amendment infringes upon Section 35 of the BNS and urged the government to retract the proposed changes.
Following the Bill's passage, provisions will also be made to allow junior police officers and lawyers to be part of the District Police Complaints Authorities across the state. The absence of senior officials had previously hindered the establishment of these authorities in several districts, complicating the resolution of complaints.
This amendment further enforces the requirement for obtaining government consent before any arrest of public servants.
Additionally, the Himachal Pradesh Recruitment and Conditions of Services Bill 2024 was passed, which will establish a police recruitment board for the hiring of Grade-II policemen.
