The Andhra Pradesh High Court has held that police cannot open or continue a rowdy sheet or collect data pertaining to a person without the sanction of “law”.
The bench of Justice Tarlada Rajasekhar Rao has observed that Chapter-37 of the A.P. Police Manual or A.P. Police Standing Orders on the basis of which the rowdy- sheets/suspect-sheets/history-sheets are being opened and surveillance is being kept on the individuals on the basis of the said rowdy-sheets, suspect-sheets, or history-sheets, as deemed void.
The writ petition that he belongs to agriculture family and working at Reliance Industries and leading a peaceful life without any complaint from any quarter much less from the public one Onteddu Sreekanth Reddy foisted a false petty case against the petitioner and others for the offence punishable under Sections 448, 324, 506 r/w 34 IPC on the file of Kalyandurgam Urban Police Station the police filed charge sheet and the case is pending for trial on the file Judicial Magistrate First Class Kalyandurgam.
While so it comes to the knowledge of the petitioner that the Deputy Superintendent of Police opened a rowdy sheet against the petitioner. And the opening of the rowdy sheet is mechanical without application of mind, vague and non-existing grounds and which curtails the fundamental right guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India and it causing indignity in the society and it is demean the name and fame of the petitioner and causing mental harassment.
A.P. Police Manual, rowdy sheet can be maintained against persons who habitually commit, attempt to commit or abet the commission of offences involving a breach of peace, disturbance to public order and security. The police may also open history sheets for suspects. Suspects are those persons who are convicted under any section of the Indian Penal Code and who are considered likely to commit crime again. Persons who are not convicted but are believed to be addicted to crime are also treated as suspects. In case a History sheet is opened on the ground that a person is a suspect, care should be taken that History sheets are opened only for persons who are likely to become habitual criminals, (PSO 736).
The court held that the case is pending for trial on the file Judicial Magistrate First Class Kalyandurgam for offences punishable under Sections 448, 324, 506 r/w 34 IPC. As per the A.P. Police Manual and also the principle laid down in the aforesaid judgments, it was not established no assertion that the writ petitioner’s activities are prejudicial to the maintenance of public order or affecting peace and tranquility in the area with the reasoning. The opening of the rowdy sheet in the name of the petitioner therein was therefore tainted in law in its very inception.
Case Details
Case Title: Gonabavi Jani Versus The State Of Andhra Pradesh
Case No.: WRIT PETITION No. 7369/2025
Date: 09/05/2025
Counsel For Petitioner: AYESHA AZMA S
Counsel For Respondent: GP
Read More: Rs. 9.51 Crores GST Demand Against Nexus Mall: Karnataka High Court Grants Liberty To Appeal
