State Superintendent of Police (SPC) Ravada A. Chandrasekhar has directed all investigating officers and SHOs to strictly refrain from making public statements or sharing findings from the investigated cases to the media, especially regarding confessions of accused persons.
In exceptional circumstances where any such information must be disclosed in the greater public interest, it must be expressly stated that the confessions of the accused are not admissible as evidence in court, according to the implementing directive issued on 29 October.
The guidelines come in the light of the Kerala High Court expressing serious concern over the conduct of some investigators who reveal the findings of investigations in a case under investigation to the public, particularly through press conferences.
Mr. Chandrasekhar noted that several guidelines have been issued over the years regarding the protocol to be followed by police officers while interacting with the media, with the High Court also rejecting and banning these practices through earlier orders.
He further said that in a recent case, the court noted that the investigating officer had informed the media that the accused had confessed and even the contents of the confession had been disclosed to the media. The court found this to be a clear violation of its previous directives prohibiting the publication of media of this nature.
The court further pointed out that such communications, especially when it comes to confessions of accused persons, put undue pressure on both the investigating agency and the trial court.
Once the alleged confession and other details of the investigation are made public, the investigating agency and the judge may face public anger and criticism if the charges are acquitted.
The Court clarified that even in extraordinary situations requiring limited disclosure in the interest of public information, there must be a clear statement that confessions made by the accused are not admissible in evidence before the Court.
Mr. Chandrasekhar directed the supervising officers to ensure that all investigating officers under their control strictly follow the instructions. Any violation in this matter will be viewed seriously and will require proper disciplinary action, he said.
Published – 31 Oct 2025 20:02 IST
