Due to increased political polarisation, interstate arrests have become a contentious issue for law enforcement. Disputes broke out between the police forces of Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh after the arrest of a TV presenter who was accused of broadcasting a fake report about Rahul Gandhi. An attempt by the Punjab police to arrest BJP leader Tejinder Singh Bagga for his filthy words directed at Arvind Kejriwal some time ago was thwarted by the Haryana and Delhi police, who were working together on the case.

Interstate arrests by law enforcement do not need a warrant issued by a local court. On the other hand, one must also observe proper social protocol. In relation to this particular investigation, the Chhattisgarh police got a warrant. As a consequence of this, in contrast to the Punjab police, who did not have a warrant to arrest Bagga, they were not compelled to inform the UP police of the current position.

Despite the fact that court rules demand this, the authorities in the state where the arrest will take place are required to be notified of the plans for the arrest. If law enforcement from both jurisdictions had exchanged intelligence with one another, the standoff that occurred yesterday would have been prevented.
Of course, there are certain to be situations in which secrecy requirements or a pressing need for information compels one to act differently.

In light of this circumstance, none of the requirements was met. There is a risk that criminals would use divisions between law enforcement organisations in order to commit crimes that span international borders as a consequence of these kinds of disputes. Even if it turns out to be a real case, the polluted atmosphere might make it more difficult for the UP police in Chhattisgarh, the Delhi police in Delhi, and the Haryana police in Punjab to investigate similar crimes in the future.

The fact that political influence is exerted on law enforcement is not beneficial. It may be used for both good and evil. Because Congress thinks that the police in UP would not take action against the TV anchor, they will have little choice but to depend on the police in Chhattisgarh. People who find themselves in problems with local authorities will have no one to turn to for support if the authorities turn on them, which is horrible news for them since the politicisation of police forces is bad news for them.