BK Singh
Justice Anand Narain Mulla of the Allahabad High Court had once famously remarked that “ there is not a single lawless group in the whole of the country whose record of crime comes anywhere near the record of that organized unit which is known as the Indian Police Force”. Nearly the entire police force seems to be living upto these words since Britans’ rule came to an end. There are innumerable cases of police brutality, torture, other illegalities including hardly any respect for law that is twisted and turned by them. Cases weaken due to their poor investigation and law gives free hand to undeserving men of sub inspectors rank to deal with the entire gamut of a case.
Englishmen well aware of Indian police mentality had ensured that no confession of crime before the police carried any weight. This is why no confession of crime before any police officer is admissible in any law court. Such was the low image of police then and the same remains till this day in letter and spirit.
Do authorities concerned know the ordeal of a person who lodges an FIR for justice ?
The scenario is horrifying, victims suffer, mentally, physically and financially.
In criminal cases policemen behave like lords. Those who lodge FIR are in turn harassed by the police on one count or the other. The system has come down to such a nadir that the investigating officer forces victims to collect evidence himself. Thus making lives of people living hell and also at risk at times. Money is demanded in most cases openly and if you don’t pay up the investigation is delayed. Keeping an eye on investigations is the job of senior police officers who are either not bothered or simply do lip service during meetings.
Action against erring officials hardly follow.
Police reforms are on the back burner and the system is just limping. In just a couple of years of service sub inspectors drive swanky cars. Where is the money coming from. Those who a couple of years ago could hardly afford bread and butter have landed properties, buildings and plots in the police service. Will the government that had been boasting to end corruption look into the murky goings on in the police department.
Have the new law makers gone into such details ?
In fact this is just a tip of the iceberg as far as police excesses and torture is concerned. There are only few incidents in which they get caught on the wrong foot and are taken to task even punished by law due to massive outcry and media going hammer and tongs against them.
We all know, cops take law into their hands every now and then and get away. What kind of Justice is this in our democracy. As a matter of fact police rules the roost. They turn and twist the situation to their advantage with hardly any accountability. This is still going on in new and emerging India heading towards becoming the third largest economy in the world.
Suggestions on police reforms are gathering dust. Powers that be do not wish to implement them as they do not wish to weaken their hand and authority, says well informed police sources.
