Chennai: Tamil Nadu govt informed Madras high court on Thursday that a govt order (GO) has been issued constituting district-level committees to ensure that the orderly system was completely abolished in the state police force.Advocate-general P S Raman made the submission before a division bench of Justice S M Subramaniam and Justice C Kumarappan. The submissions were made in view of a direction issued by the court requesting the AG to assist the court on the issue.Recording the submissions, the bench observed that the GO must be implemented in letter and spirit and that the district committees, headed by the respective district collectors, must ensure that the orderly system does not exist in the state police force.The court then adjourned the hearing after four weeks for the state to file an action taken report.On Dec 19, 2025, citing a news article on the existence of the orderly system in the Tamil Nadu police force, the bench refused to accept the stand of the state govt that the system was completely abolished.The court then suo motu impleaded the chief secretary and home secretary of the state govt and directed them to file an explanation. Citing a news article published in TOI dated Dec 17 titled ‘DGP sets out to end orderly system, directs men to be back on duty,’ the court observed that, according to the article, about 4% of the state’s 1.3 lakh police personnel, nearly 5,000 constables, may be functioning as orderlies.
