Separate roles of police station and officer in charge

Section 2(s) concerns declaration of a police station. Section 2(o) separately addresses the officer in charge of that station. The Andhra Pradesh notification dealt with both provisions. It declared specified Anti-Corruption Bureau offices to be police stations. It also designated officers of and above Deputy Superintendent of Police rank as officers in charge. An Inspector could act in charge in the specified absence or inability of a senior officer. Each part of the notification must be read according to its statutory function. The two declarations are related but legally distinct. (The Joint Director (Rayalaseema), Anti-Corruption Bureau, A.P. & Anr. v. Dayam Peda Ranga Rao | 2026 INSC 37)