Delhi CP issues new rules for pairvi officers
Seeking to plug procedural gaps that often slow down court proceedings and delay justice to victims, Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golchha has issued a Standing Order, defining the role, responsibilities and accountability of pairvi officers posted in courts across the national Capital.
The February 3 order aims to strengthen coordination between investigating officers, prosecutors and courts, and ensure that lapses such as non-appearance of officials or delayed compliance with court directions do not hamper the judicial process.
The order said that court proceedings are often delayed due to the non-appearance of investigating officers (IOs) or failure to comply with court directions in time. It mandates pairvi officers to act as a crucial link between the courts, prosecution, police stations, investigating units and witnesses to ensure that such lapses are minimised.
“It has been observed that several cases or Court proceedings are delayed due to the non-appearance of the Investigation Officers (IOs) or the lack of timely compliance with the directions of the Court. The Pairvi Officer needs to ensure better pairvi of the cases, which are fixed for hearing in the Courts and to reduce the burden of the IOs of the cases,” the order stated.
According to the order, the primary objective behind appointing pairvi officers is to ensure effective follow-up, coordination and representation in legal, administrative and institutional processes for smooth and timely case management in courts.
Under the new guidelines, pairvi officers in the High Court must immediately inform the legal cell in writing about admission of writ petitions, appeals, bail applications or miscellaneous applications. They are required to maintain a daily-updated pairvi register, coordinate with standing counsels and prosecutors for filing of vakalatnama (authorisation letter given to lawyer by client), counter affidavits and status reports, and ensure that replies are prepared well before the next date of hearing.
They must also record court orders on each date of hearing and promptly communicate adverse orders to senior officers, including the joint commissioner of police concerned, Legal Cell (PHQ), deputy commissioner of police of the district/unit and the station house officer (SHO). In cases where an IO fails to appear in court, the pairvi officer is required to immediately inform the SHO and escalate the matter to the ACP and DCP in important cases. The officer must also ensure that victims, particularly in sexual offence cases, are informed in advance about hearings.
For district and subordinate courts, the Standing Order directs pairvi officers to prepare advance lists of cases fixed for hearing, ensure timely service of summons and warrants, facilitate production of case property, coordinate with public prosecutors and personally brief witnesses if required.
They are also tasked with ensuring that processes such as e-summons and video conferencing platforms like ‘Nyaya Shruti’ are utilised wherever operational. The order further mandates maintenance of specific registers as per Annexure-A (High Court) and Annexure-B (District Courts), to be checked regularly by the inspector, Legal Cell. Once exhausted, the registers are to be deposited with the Legal Cell for record.
Training programmes at the district level and Delhi Police Academy will be organised regularly to enhance the efficiency and professionalism of pairvi officers.
The Standing Order clarifies that any previous circulars inconsistent with the present guidelines shall be treated as null and void, and that the directions are meant exclusively for the internal functioning of the police department.
