IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS DATED: 03.02.2026 CORAM:

THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE A.D.JAGADISH CHANDIRA W.P.(Crl.)No.200 of 2026 P.Deivasigamani ... Petitioner Vs.

1. The Deputy Commissioner of Police, O/o. The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Puliyanthope Division, Chennai.

2. The Assistant Commissioner of Police, O/o. The Assistant Commissioner of Police, Puliyanthope Range, Chennai.

3. The Inspector of Police, P-5, M.K.B.Nagar Police Station, Chennai. ... Respondents PRAYER: Writ Petition (Criminal) is filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, to issue a Writ of Mandamus or direction in the nature of writ, to direct the respondents to remove the petitioner’s name in the History Sheet H.S.No.04 of 2010 maintained by the third respondent pursuant to the petitioner’s representation dated 05.12.2025.

For Petitioner : Mr.Manimaran For Respondents : Mr.K.M.D.Muhilan Additional Public Prosecutor

O R D E R

The present Writ Petition (Criminal) has been filed seeking a direction to the respondents to remove the petitioner's name from the History Sheet, by considering his representation dated 05.12.2025. 2. Mr.K.M.D.Muhilan, learned Additional Public Prosecutor, takes notice on behalf of the respondents.

3. In view of the consent expressed by the learned counsel on either side, this Writ Petition (Criminal) is taken up for final disposal at the admission stage itself.

4. The submissions of the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner are as follows:-

4.1. The petitioner is engaged in real estate business. As on date, no cases are pending against him. The petitioner was acquitted in all the cases registered against him long ago

4.2. However, in order to harass the petitioner and restrict his movements, his name was included in the History Sheet in the year 2010, bearing H.S.No.4 of 2010, at the instance of the superior officers in the Police Department. Despite there being no subsequent criminal activity on his part, the petitioner has been compelled to attend the police station routinely under the pretext of enquiry.

4.3. Therefore, the petitioner has not been able to lead a normal life and apprehends that the continuance of his name in the history sheet would adversely affect the career and future prospects of his children

4.4. Hence, the petitioner made a representation dated

05.12.2025 to the respondents, requesting to remove his name from the History Sheet. Since the said representation has not been considered till date, the present petition has been filed.

5. Learned Additional Public Prosecutor appearing for the respondents submitted that the petitioner is a habitual offender indulging in rowdy activities, extortion, etc. Therefore, a History Sheeted Rowdy Book was opened against him and the same is being periodically extended as per the Police Standing Orders. Hence, he prayed for dismissal of the petition.

6. Having heard the learned counsel appearing on either side and upon perusal of the materials available on record, this Court is of the opinion that the issue involved in this Writ Petition has already been dealt with by the Madurai Bench of this Court, wherein a detailed order was passed in W.P.(MD) No.19651 of 2017 on 26.09.2018. Based on the said order, the Director General of Police, Chennai, issued a circular in Rc.No. 66569/Crime 3(2)/2019 dated 24.04.2019, the germane portion of which reads as follows:-

“7.From the above judgments the following principles emerge insofar as history sheeters are concerned:

a. In order to facilitate the study of crime and criminals, the Police Standing Orders provides a mechanism, whereby every Police Station shall maintain a crime history, which shall be a confidential record. In this record all cases of crime that are mentioned in PSO No.742, which provides various classes of crime, shall be entered and even an attempt to commit those offences, are entered in the records maintained in the Police Station.

b. These crime records maintained by the Various Police Stations shall be