This story is from June 12, 2019

CPI objects to magesterial powers to commissioners

The metropolitan police commissionerate system found fresh objections within the government with revenue minister E Chandrasekharan writing a letter to the chief minister to not implement the same without detailed discussions within the LDF.
CPI objects to magesterial powers to commissioners
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The metropolitan police commissionerate system found fresh objections within the government with revenue minister E Chandrasekharan writing a letter to the chief minister to not implement the same without detailed discussions within the LDF.
It is reliably learnt that the revenue minister, in his letter, had said that the idea – when originally brought in 2013 by the then Oommen Chandy government – was opposed by the LDF including the CPM.
Hence, any move should be taken forward only by taking into confidence all the allied parties of the LDF.
It is reliably learnt that CPI is also cagey that district collectors and revenue divisional officers – who mainly come under the revenue department for administrative purposes – would lose their magisterial powers to the police, if commissioners are granted magisterial powers.
The move from revenue minister came after the chief minister announced in the assembly that officers with IG rank – who have been posted in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram as police commissioners – will share the magisterial powers with respective district magistrates, additional district magistrates and revenue divisional officers who, at present, hold such powers.
The law department has already raised its objections against implementing metropolitan commissionerate system in two cities and had said that the decision would face the axe from the court if the legal preconditions, mainly the population factor, are circumvented.
As legality is being questioned, some of the police officers said that police would not gain or lose anything even if the magisterial powers are conferred on them as almost all powers exercised by the commissioners in cities where the system is in place, are exercised by the local self-governments in state. Moreover, Kerala Police Act itself gives enough teeth to police officers in exercising their duties.
Though the government had already come up with an order (GO (Ms) No 29/2013/Home) in 2013 deciding to set up metropolitan police system for Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi that would empower the commissioners of these two cities to exercise magisterial powers, the strong objection from IAS officers and inability to overcome the legal provisions had delayed the idea from being implemented as envisaged originally.
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