'Effective digitization needed': Madras High Court Slams TN Police for Tech Failures
The Madras High Court has strongly criticised the Tamil Nadu Police for not using its digital systems properly, leading to long delays in criminal investigations. The court said that although the police claim to be modern and tech-savvy, in reality, their systems are outdated and often do not work as they should.
The case involved J. Manohar Dass, who filed a complaint in February 2020 after being cheated of over Rs. 13.6 lakh by a travel agent who promised to arrange a pilgrimage for his family. Though an FIR was registered, the investigation did not move forward for over two years. Even after the high court in 2022 ordered the police to finish the investigation in two months, nothing happened.
Frustrated, Dass filed a contempt petition. It was only after this that the accused was arrested in October 2024, and the police filed the final report. But when the judge checked the official Tamil Nadu Police website in April 2025, the system still showed that the case was under investigation—months after the report had been filed.
“(It) shows that though the investigating agencies are equipped with required infrastructure, there is a long way to be traversed in achieving the desired results,” the bench of Justice A.D. Jagadish Chandira observed.
Court also noted that this was not an isolated case. Between 2022 and 2024, 610 contempt petitions were filed in criminal matters, mostly due to the police not following court orders on time.
While closing the petition because the investigation was eventually completed, the court issued a warning and strict directions:
1. The police must fully follow the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) created in December 2024.
2. The upgraded digital system called CCTNS 2.0 must be fully implemented within four months.
3. Senior officers must review all court-ordered cases every month and track them digitally.
The court said that any future delays will lead to disciplinary and legal action. It also mentioned that Tamil Nadu’s police system isn’t connected properly with the national digital network used by other states and departments, which makes things worse.
Court stressed that people should not be forced to keep going to court just to get basic action from the police.
Case Title: J.Manohar Dass vs. Komathi, Inspector of Police and Others
Download judgment here