Kolkata, May 26: The Kolkata Police has issued a directive prohibiting all personnel from wearing civilian clothes while on duty. However, certain specialized departments have been granted exemptions.
Departments exempted from this rule include the Investigation Department, Special Branch, Enforcement Branch, Special Task Force, and Cyber Crime Division, as remaining in plain clothes is integral to their duties. If any officer or staff member from departments outside this exemption needs to perform official duties without a uniform, they must obtain prior permission from senior officials.
A senior police officer from the city confirmed that an official notification was released from the office of Police Commissioner Ajay Nand on May 24 regarding this matter.
With the exception of the five exempted departments, all officers and staff are required to wear uniforms during raids, arrests, maintaining law and order, or any other official duties.
The notification references the Supreme Court‘s ruling in the 1997 DK Basu vs. West Bengal Government case during the Left Front’s rule in the state. This ruling established clear guidelines for police regarding the arrest and detention of individuals, aimed at curbing police misconduct, torture in custody, and deaths in lock-ups.
In this case, the Supreme Court not only mandated that police personnel on official duty must wear uniforms but also required that all officers involved in arrests or interrogations wear clearly visible name tags with their designations.
This Supreme Court decision is considered a landmark ruling in the context of protecting fundamental rights under Articles 21 and 22 of the Constitution.
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