The Kerala State Police chief, Chandrasekhar, has issued directives mandating all investigating officers and Station House Officers (SHOs) to abstain strictly from making public statements or disclosing findings of cases under investigation to the media. The directive specifically emphasizes refraining from revealing confessions made by accused persons.
These instructions were prompted by the Kerala High Court's serious concerns regarding instances of investigating officers publicly disclosing details of ongoing investigations, including through press conferences. The High Court determined that such actions constituted a clear violation of its previous directives prohibiting these types of media disclosures.
The court further elucidated that public revelations, particularly concerning confessions, exert undue pressure on both the investigating agency and the trial court. It noted the potential for public anger and criticism towards these bodies in the event of an acquittal, should alleged confessions and other investigation details have been previously made public. While acknowledging extraordinary situations that may warrant limited disclosures for public information, the High Court clarified that any such statement must explicitly communicate that confessions made by an accused are not admissible as evidence in court. Supervisory officers have been directed to ensure scrupulous adherence to these new guidelines by all officers under their command.
Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/kerala-state-police-chief-directs-investigating-officers-to-desist-from-making-public-statements-on-cases-under-investigation/article70226331.ece