A Right Delayed Is A Right Denied
All people in general have the right to enjoy respect for his or her liberty and security.
It is axiomatic that, without an efficient guarantee of the freedom and security of the
human person, the protection of other individual rights becomes increasingly
vulnerable and sometimes illusory.
Yet, as is evidenced by the work of the international
monitoring organs, arrests and detentions without reasonable cause, and without there
being any effective legal remedies available to the victims concerned, are commonplace.
In the course of such arbitrary and unlawful deprivations of liberty, the detainees are
frequently also deprived of access both to lawyers and to their own families, and also
subjected to torture and other sorts of ill-treatment.
It is essential, therefore, that the legal rules that exist in international
law to remedy and prevent these sorts of human rights violations be adhered to
by national judges and prosecutors, and that lawyers are responsive to their contents,
to enable them to act effectively on behalf of their clients
Article 21 of Indian Constitution provides few sparkles of hope to the lives of
arrested, under trials and convicts. The treatment of such people has to be
humane and within the manner prescribed by law.
In
Maneka Gandhi v. Union of
India {AIR 1978 SC 597} the Supreme Court held that State and for that matter
the police as its principal law enforcing agency have the undoubted duty to
bring offenders to book. Even so, the law and procedure adopted by the State for
achieving this laudable social objective need to conform to civilized standards.
The procedure adopted by the State must, therefore, be just, fair and
reasonable.
The primary purposes of criminal law are Deterrence, Retribution and Protection.
Reformation & Rehabilitation are the silent purposes to enhance the hues of
society.
Once Criminal, Always Criminal can't sustain the test of
reasonableness, wisdom and conscience. All crimes are not same and then aren't
criminals. Gravity, nature and involvement define which yardstick of
jurisprudential law is to be applied. However, application of yardstick is
predicated on discretion to be exercised within the limit of State law
The powers for making an arrest by police are subject to restraints and judicial
supervision and scrutiny to shield the basic right to life under Article 21 of
the Constitution of India of all persons. Imposition of such restraint is
clearly the recognition of rights of the arrested person. Chapter-V of the
Criminal Procedure Act (CrPC) contains provisions regarding arrest of persons,
restrains and judicial supervision & scrutiny.
Relevant Legal Provisions Qua Important Rights Of An Arrested Person:
When Police Is Arresting Without Warrant
Under Section 41 of CrPC
wide powers are conferred on police to arrest, mainly in cognizable offences,
without having to travel to Magistrate for obtaining warrant of arrest.
There will be no legal arrest if there is no information or reasonable suspicion
that the person has been involved in a very cognizable offence or commits
offence(s), specified in Section 41.
Arrest How Made
Section 46 of CrPC envisages modes of arrest i.e.
submission to custody, touching the body physically or confining the body.
Arrest is restraint on personal liberty. Unless there is submission to
custody, by words or by conduct, arrest are often made by actual contact.
just in case force is required, it should be no quite which is justly
required and this section does not provides a right to cause death of
someone, who is not accused of an offence punishable with the death or with
imprisonment for all times.
Where a woman is to be arrested, unless the police officer could be a female,
the police officer shall not touch the person of the woman for making an arrest
and arrest would be presumed on her submission to custody on oral intimation.
After sunset and before sunrise, no woman will be arrested, except in
exceptional circumstances and upon prior written permission from the local
Magistrate.
Person Arrested To Be Informed Of The Right To Bail
Section 50(2) of CrPC provides that a person arrested without warrant shall be immediately
informed of the grounds of his arrest, and if the arrest is made in a very bailable
case, the person shall be informed of his right to be released on bails. Section
50 is mandatory and carries out the mandate of Article 22(1) of the Constitution
of India.
Search Of Arrested Person
Section 51 of CrPC allows a police
officer to make personal search of arrested persons. With reference to the
provisions of this section, the reference may be made to Article 20(3) of the
Constitution of India which could be a guarantee to the accused against
self-incriminating testimonial compulsion. Though an accused can't
be compelled to supply any evidence against him, it can be seized under process
of law from the custody or person of the accused by the issue of a
search warrant.
Medical Examination Of Arrested Person
Section 54 of CrPC provides
for compulsory medical examination by a medical officer in service of central
or authorities, or by registered medical practitioner, upon non-availability of
such medical officer. Female arrestees can only be examined by female medical
officer or registered medical practitioner.
However, Section 53 & 53A of CrPC provide if there are reasonable grounds for
believing that an examination of arrestee, on a charge of committing rape or
other offence, will afford evidence so on the commission of such offence, it
shall be lawful to medically examine blood, blood stains, semen, hair samples,
finger nail clippings by use of recent & scientific techniques including DNA and
such other tests, which the medical officer thinks necessary during a particular
case, acting at the request of a police officer.
Person Arrested Not To Be Detained More Than 24 Hours
The
constitutional and legal requirements to produce an arrested person before a
Judicial Magistrate within 24 hours of the arrest must be scrupulously
observed (Khatri v. State of Bihar, AIR 1983 SC 378). Section 57 is concerned solely with
the question of the period of detention. The intention is that the accused
should be brought before a magistrate competent to undertake or commit, with the
least delay. The right to be taken out of police custody by being brought before
a Magistrate is vital in order to prevent arrest and detention, with a view to
extract confession or as a means of compelling people to give information.
Right To Free Legal
while after the arrest, a person shall have
the right to consult and to be defended by a counsel of his choice; arrestee
shall be entitled to free legal aid. Except for ensuring a fair prosecution,
a society under the Rule of law has also a duty to arrange for the defense
of the accused, if he's too poor to do so. Free legal aid to persons of
limited means is a service which the modern State, especially a welfare
state, owes to its citizens (Law Commission of India, 14th Report, Vol. I,
pp 587-600).
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