"Privacy Is Sacred": Hyderabad Top Cop After Police Seen Checking Phones

Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar on Thursday said that the privacy of citizens is of utmost importance and the police have no intention of intruding into it.

"As far as privacy of common law-abiding citizens is concerned, it is most important and sacred. No police officer anywhere in the country has any intention of intruding into that. But as far as rowdies, criminals are concerned, if we find anything in their possession, we have to check what is that and it is our prime responsibility," Anjani Kumar said at a press conference here.

This statement comes after a video showing police constables checking people's phones went viral in the city.

"In few cases of grave and sensational crime, when the accused is likely to run away, police checks all the items found at the scene of the crime or available with the offenders caught. At that time, we do not know who are the gang members and who are accomplishers. Thus, whatever is found at the scene of evidence is examined immediately," he said adding that the items can include anything ranging from laptops, hard disks, pen drives etc.

Reiterating the responsibility of the police, he said that examination of not only the witness but also the items in their possession is important.

Mr Kumar further stressed that it is important to check all items in possession of the offenders to catch those who are partners to the criminals.

"Similarly, sometimes frisking is also very important. When a suspected person is there lurking at night, whose identity is not known to the police, then it is the responsibility of the police to establish the identity. It is mandatory by Indian law and in the process if he finds it suspicious he can also do frisking," said Kumar.

Backing his statement with a real-life incident, he said that in an incident in north-zone, an accused, who was being questioned, stabbed a constable with a knife as he was not frisked before.

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