Inter-state Police Cooperation: Challenges, Policy Framework, and the Way Forward

ABSTRACT

Interstate police arrest procedures of police are increasingly being discussed in public discourse. Recently, a news anchor made headlines in light of a tussle between the Chhattisgarh police and Uttar Pradesh police for his arrest. In May this year, the Delhi police and Punjab police faced similar public scrutiny over the arrest of a politician. In this context, exploring instances of non-cooperation between police authorities and inter-state arrests becomes relevant. The rules and regulations on arrest and the jurisdiction of police authorities need to be analysed for a clearer understanding, and further policy decisions. 

While provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1973 are pivotal, other policies and guidelines also hold relevance. Through analysing the judgments of the Supreme Court and High Courts, this issue brief sheds light on the political motivations that impact the independence of police machinery and catalyse instances of non-cooperation. Lastly, the brief will recommend changes in the policy framework that can reduce instances of police non-cooperation, way forward to interstate police cooperation, protect the rights of the accused, and facilitate the maintenance of law and order. 

KEYWORDS: Code Of Criminal Procedure, Police Cooperation, Inter-state Arrest, Geographical Jurisdiction, Political Influence 

 

INTRODUCTION 

July witnessed a tussle between the Chhattisgarh police and Uttar Pradesh police over the arrest of Zee News anchor Rohit Ranjan who allegedly made misleading statements in the news about a politician from the Indian National Congress. Similarly, in 2021, the arrest of climate activist Disha Ravi by the cyber-crime unit of the Delhi Police sparked controversy since they detained Ravi without informing the local Bengaluru police. Such instances of non-cooperation between police authorities are not solitary but part of a trend. Such occurrences are primarily seen when police authorities arrested the accused from a state outside its jurisdiction without following due process, resulting in non-cooperation with other police authorities.


Default Author Image

Aditi Dehal

Default Author Image

Mrigank Patel

Found this post insightful? Share it with your network and help spread the knowledge.

Suggested Reads

Workers or Owners? The Case of Women Farmers in India

Introduction Marginalization of women, seen through the case of exclusion from ownership structures, can be considered as one of the key reasons against which the suffrage movement was initially mounted, globally. However, in India and abroad, with the delinkages between citizenship rights and property holdings by the mid-twentieth century, the question of land rights and […]

बुलडोजर से अन्याय

आपराधिक मामलों के अभियुक्तों के मकान पर बुलडोजर चलाने की कार्रवाई ने देश के कानून के सामने नई चुनौती पेश की है। कानूनी प्रक्रिया का पालन किए बिना किसी की छत को कैसे ढहाया जा सकता है? अभियुक्त तो दूर यदि किसी को मुकदमे के बाद दोषी भी पाया गया है, तो क्या उसके मकान […]

Indian Exports Amid EU Deforestation Regulation

Among developed nations, the European Union (EU) has remained at the forefront of environmental protection distinguished through proactive and legally binding measures. While many countries have set ambitious climate targets, the EU has gone a step further by enacting comprehensive policies that drive sustainable practices both within its borders and globally. The European Green Deal, […]

India and Trump 2.0: Reciprocal Tariffs and the Case of India’s Manufacturing Exports

  Disclaimer: This issue brief was written before the announcement of reciprocal tariffs by the new Trump administration on 2nd April, 2025, which imposed tariffs by a baseline of 10% for all countries exporting to the USA, and additional tariffs depending on their respective MFN tariff binds, with certain exempt commodities. For India, this amounts […]