In a significant development, Tamil Nadu Director General of Police and Head of Police Force (HoPF) in-charge Abhay Kumar Singh issued a directive effectively to eradicate the illegal ‘orderly’ system.
Abhay Singh, who took charge as the head of the police force (In-charge) on December 9 after his predecessor G Venkatraman went on medical leave, asked all police officers to withdraw personnel deployed as orderlies at the residences of serving and retired officers and engage them in regular policing work.
According to reports, Singh issued instructions to all units, zonal and district heads, asking them to gather details of personnel currently assigned as orderlies. He directed them to relieve the personnel and sent them back to their units without any further delay.
It may be recalled that in August 2022, the Madras High Court ordered the then DGP Sylendra Babu to abolish the illegal practice – in accordance with a GO of the State Home (Police-VI) department issued in September 1979 – within four months.
At that time, several officers filed an undertaking stating that they did not deploy police personnel at their residences for their personal work.
However, the fresh directive by the current DGP suggests that the illegal practice has continued despite the court’s intervention.