2026:MHC:729 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS DATED: 12-02-2026 CORAM THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE A.D.JAGADISH CHANDIRA WP Crl. No. 299 of 2026 G.Arul ..Petitioner(s)

Vs

1. The District Collector No.62, 4^th Floor, Singaravelar Maligai, Rajaji Salai, Parrys, Chennai-600001.

2. The Commissioner of Police No.132, Commissioner Office Building, EVK Sampath Road, Vepery, Chennai-600007. 3. The Inspector of Police R1 Mambalam Police Station, Chennai-600017.

4. The Assistant Commissioner of Police, Madley Road, T.Nagar, Chennai 600 017.

[R4 is suo-motu impleaded as per order dated12.02.2026 in WP (Crl) NO.299/2026]

..Respondent(s)

Writ Petition has been filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India to issue writ of Mandamus, to direct the 1^st respondent to consider the representation dated 08.12.2025 and further directing the 2^nd respondent herein to remove the name of the Petitioner from the History Sheet record in H.S.No.21 of 2022 maintained by the 2^nd respondent police, within a time frame as may be fixed by this Court.

For Petitioner(s): Mr.P.Thompson For Respondent(s): Mr.K.M.D.Muhilan Additional Public Prosecutor

ORDER

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 08.12.2025.

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:

(1)The petitioner is running a Fruit Shop near Ranganathan Street, opposite to Mambalam Railway Station, T.Nagar, Chennai (2) The petitioner was falsely implicated in Crime No.970 of 2013 registered for the alleged offences under Sections 120(b) 148 read with 109, 341 read with 109, 307 read with 109, 506 read with 109 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and he was acquitted by the XVIII Additional Sessions Court, Chennai on 19.03.2019.

(3)However, despite there being no further criminal activity on his part, his name was included in the History Sheet, at the instance of the superior officers in the Police Department, in order to harass him and restrict his movements.

(4) The petitioner has been compelled to attend the Police Station under the pretext of inquiry in a routine manner. Therefore, the petitioner made a representation dated 08.12.2025 to the 1^st respondent, 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 o