Chennai: The State government has banned the Friends Of Police (FoP), a community initiative started by State police to bring more clarity and transparency to working of police and to bridge the gap between police and public.
The ban comes after the eye-witnesses in the Jayaraj-Bennix custodial deaths alleged that FoP members were present at the station premises when the custodial torture took place. Following this, the FoP, in an official statement refuted all the allegations. But social media users began a hashtag āBanFriendsofPoliceā with several narrating how FoP members have misused powers.
This morning a Government Order from the Home department and signed by Additional Chief Secretary to Government, S K Prabakar, stated that, āFriends of Police Movement to the whole of State of Tamilnadu is hereby rescinded.ā
Earlier, the State Human Rights Commission had sought a detailed report from the Principal Secretary to Government, Home Department and Director General of Police asking whether the state police had legal sanction to use the Friends of Police movement for discharging its official functions, reports said.