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Police Complaint Authority (PCA)

The Police Complaint Authority was created in 2006, After the SC directed all States to begin a reformation in their Police, After the Judgement in the Prakash Case, The SC of India given the directives for structural reform of the police, by establishing Police Complaints Authorities at the state and District level, with immediate effect. The Decision was to be Primarily due to increment in huge number of Complaints against the police and the lack of Accountability, as well as the intention behind setting up police complaints authorities was to make sure that a local mechanism expert in handling a wide scope of complaints against the police, including the most serious, was readily available to the public at large.

Complaints which can be filed with the Police Complaints Authority

The Authority shall investigate into accusations of “Serious Misconduct” against the police personnel, as detailed on a complaint received from any of the following:

  1. A victim or any person on his/her behalf;
  2. The National or the State Human Rights Commission;
  3. The police; or
  4. Any other source

By the word “Serious Misconduct”, it states the coverage of the offences;

  1. Death in police custody;
  2. Grievous hurt, as defined in section 320 0f the IPC,1860;
  3. Rape or attempt to commit rape;
  4. Arrest or detention without due process of law;
  5. Extortion;
  6. land/house grabbing; or
  7. Any incident involving serious abuse of the authority.

The Authority may also investigate before referring to the complaint as filed, only after getting satisfied with the truth of the complaint.

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