Cops go for standard face covers for undertrials, new SOP to be formed
Times of India | 8 January 2026
Kolkata: From towels, pillow covers, handkerchiefs and even curtains, police used every fabric they could lay their hands on to cover the faces of suspects of crimes while presenting them in court, especially for grievous crimes or cases that required a Test Identification Parade (TIP). But that will not be the case anymore.
Kolkata Police released a tender ordering 100 specially designed face covers, conceived to be all black, for this purpose, with importance given to ‘easy breathing' and enough space so that the accused's vision was not blocked, unlike when using pillow covers or towels.
A new SOP is being prepared regarding this, said Lalbazar sources. At present, there is no standard rule in this regard, with Delhi Police revealing the faces of seasoned criminals and Ludhiana Police that of snatchers and robbers, all those involved in street crime.
"The accused in criminal cases or arrested persons no longer needed to rush desperately to cover their faces with their hands or handkerchiefs to avoid the glare of the awaiting media flashbulbs. Also gone were the days when police needed to send someone scurrying to the nearest shop in search of pieces of cloth to cover the faces of the accused they paraded at press conferences," said an officer.
All these 100-odd face covers will be distributed among police stations and specialised units like the detective department and STF, said sources. Cops said that the decision to prepare an SOP, as well as design a uniform cover, was also taken following feedback from lower courts where defence lawyers were found taking the plea that the accused were treated ‘as a criminal even before the trial'. ‘We will not allow the defence to use this excuse to try and bolster their case," explained an officer.
Sources said there was a growing understanding that the face mask was as much a requirement to protect the rights of the accused as ensuring a legally sound TIP, as in the Indian legal system, an accused person is presumed innocent until proven guilty. "Revealing their face publicly could amount to a premature declaration of guilt and cause reputational damage, even if they were later acquitted," explained the officer. Kolkata Police also launched a special drive sensitising their officers on such legal concepts.