Haryana bill on State Police Complaint Authority referred to select committee

A bill that restricts Haryana's State Police Complaint Authority from taking up complaints under certain conditions, including those filed anymously, was on Wednesday referred to select committee of state assembly after some Congress MLAs raised objections.

Haryana Police (Amendment) Bill, 2022, was introduced in House this evening by state Home Minister Anil Vij on concluding day of three-day monsoon session of State Assembly. Congress MLA Varun Chaudhary objected to bill, claiming that State Police Complaint Authority's power to hear complaint on a suo motu basis was being taken away, and said authority's ambit should be widened instead of being cut down like this.

According to Bill, "... anymous, synymous and pseudonymous complaints shall be entertained..."

" Authority shall t enquire into any matter where a report under section 173 of Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 has been filed in an appropriate court; any matter pending or that has already been dealt with by NHRC, State Human Rights Commission/National Commission for Scheduled Castes...." Chaudhary, who is MLA from Mullana, said, "I want Bill to be deferred because Authority's power to hear complaints on a suo motu basis was being taken away.

"Already under pressure of police, so many people don't complain against m. That is why it was very important to have this suo motu power with Authority," he said.

"In first place, this Authority was set up after great difficulty. It's ambit should t be lowered, but widened. If a complaint comes, let Authority investigate," he said. " Authority has only to investigate, it does t have to prounce punishment. Why is body being prevented from this too," he said, demanding that Bill be deferred.        

Later, Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala, while referring to objections raised by Chaudhary and one more Congress member Jagbir Malik, favoured that Bill be referred to a select committee, stating that n it can be taken up in next session. After this, Vij proposed that Haryana Police (Amendment) Bill, 2022 be referred to select committee.