The fairness and diligence of police investigations are decisive to the administration of justice, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said on Wednesday, observing that the judiciary and law enforcement function as an unbroken chain.
Addressing an audience at the release of “Beyond the Uniform: Duty, Discretion and Public Trust,” a book authored by former Indian Police Service officer O P Mishra, the Chief Justice stated that courts ultimately receive and work with the material gathered by investigating agencies. Consequently, while a meticulously filed First Information Report and an impartial investigation bolster the judicial process, even the most conscientious court cannot fully rectify the damage if foundational investigative procedures are compromised.
The gathering was also addressed by former Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar and Sanjaya Baru, former media adviser to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Authority As A Public Trust
Justice Kant emphasized that police personnel must align their duties not merely with the statutory text, but with the broader intent for which the law grants them authority. Powers to probe offences, carry out arrests, regulate public transit, and preserve civil order should not be treated as perquisites of office or objectives in themselves, but as duties exercised on behalf of the public.
Early Preparation And Preventive Policing
The Chief Justice noted that effective law enforcement does not originate only after an offence occurs, a gathering convenes, or a crisis develops. Rather, effective policing requires advance preparation, inter-agency coordination, vulnerability assessment, and systematic information gathering to ensure preparedness before an emergency strikes. Preventing a volatile situation from escalating into an emergency constitutes some of the most critical work handled by the force, he added.
Pointing to recent operational successes, Justice Kant commended personnel for their role in the seamless management of the 18th BRICS Summit. He noted the extensive behind-the-scenes arrangements required for the event, highlighting round-the-clock vigilance, venue and accommodation security, traffic management, and convoy protection.
Support Systems For Personnel
Turning to institutional welfare, the Chief Justice said that societal demands for round-the-clock courage, composure, and empathy from officers require a reciprocal commitment to improving their operational environment.
He concluded that modern investigative equipment, adequate training, supportive leadership, humane working hours, and institutional focus on the physical and mental health of personnel are fundamental prerequisites for achieving citizen-centric policing.
