72. Supply of information regarding street accidents, etc. (Section 3, Bengal Act II of 1866) (Section 9, Bengal Act IV of 1866). - (1) Police reports, books and records are confidential and privileged, and it would be contrary to the general public interest for their contents to be disclosed. Copies of such reports or other documents are on no account to be supplied.
(2)In cases of street accidents, burglary, house-breaking, larceny, murder and suicide, however, there is no objection to furnish to the parties interested or to their properly authorised legal representatives, for the purpose of settlement of insurance claims, abstracts giving the salient points and the names and addresses of the witnesses, when known to Police, on the understanding that such abstracts are not, and do not purport to be, actual copies of reports. Information in respect of these cases, shall, on application by parties, be supplied in the Calcutta Police form regarding supply of particulars of an occurrence. Such applications are to be made to the Commissioner accompanied by a fee of rupees five which shall be retained, even though no record of the case can be traced from the particulars given. The cashier, Calcutta Police Directorate shall issue receipts for all fees received. Abstracts in respect of occurrences in regard to which Police proceedings are pending shall not, as a rule, be supplied, until such proceedings have been disposed of.
