The tragic death of Rizwanur in West Bengal has led to a lot of drama. It is believed that poor Rizwanur lost his life not only because he dared to fall in love with a girl outside his religious community, but also because the girl belonged to a much higher economic class. Involvement of the media and civil society has added further dimensions to the entire episode.

Even though the chief minister of West Bengal had been more than prompt to order a CID inquiry and a judicial probe, one needs to find out the advisability of a CBI inquiry, as ordered by the Kolkata High Court; the transfer of the five policemen involved and the impact thereof on the morale and working of the state police. One feels that involvement of the media and civil society has led the situation to come to such a pass.

Arguably, the way police has conducted itself in the entire episode leaves a lot to be desired, raising many issues and questions about their functioning, but still this trial by media and by public in such high profile cases is something which is becoming too much of a routine and we really need to think about its advisability and its impact on the way the real investigation and trial are conducted.

While one really feels there was no need for the police commissioner of Kolkata to declare Rizwanur’s death a case of suicide without an investigation, something whose wisdom government also has questioned, the stentorian and repeated demand for the immediate suspension of the police officials involved including a sub-inspector, two deputy commissioners of police and, of course, the commissioner of police himself is something one needs to give a thought to. Is the demand justified?

One really believes that the demand for the suspension of the involved policemen is not at all justified, even if to ensure unbiased investigation and trial of the case. This is so because there are umpteen Rizwanur-like cases where one or the other side often raises or has raised questions about the role of the police and if we keep suspending the policemen for every such allegation to ensure a fair trial, then we shall not be left with many policemen for policing this country.

The question relating to police involvement in the marital affairs of two consenting adults also needs dispassionate consideration. While from hindsight, it does appear that there was no need for police involvement in a matter which is completely private, the police definitely cannot have a clue or idea about the case not being really that of an abduction and ransom, unless and until it investigates the case and gets to the bottom of it, more so when someone has lodged a complaint about it.

It is this which has cost the police dearly. Had it left the matter to follow the usual pace, nothing would have happened. But the police had no other way out but to get to the matter immediately, more so because abduction and kidnapping incite a lot of media and public attention. When the police really found out that the complaint had no basis and it was really a case of a love marriage between two consenting adults given another twist by the very rich father of the girl, it withdrew. Now, while all this had almost ended, there took place the tragic death of poor Rizwanur in almost suspicious and mysterious circumstances.

It is after the death of Rizwanur that the police have been excoriated for its role in the entire episode. While it is no one’s case to defend the policemen if found involved as alleged, one should definitely not hurry things up in such cases because it also points fingers on an entire system.

One should have waited for the findings of the government-instituted CID and judicial probe. The temptation for a CBI inquiry in such cases should be resisted. First, if the CBI starts inquiring into any and every such case, then it not only puts into disuse the entire police machinery of the state, but also raises question about the advisability of having state police at all. After all, law and order is a state subject in a federal polity and it should remain so. Also, the frequent resort to CBI inquiries would lead to the gradual erosion of popular faith in the bureau. So, while we should use CBI sparingly, we should also try to reinvigorate and spruce up our police machinery to enable it to be more accountable, transparent and effective than it has been so far.
After all, it is this popular impatience for justice following a systemic failure somewhere which has seen the rise of civil society against the venal ration dealers in West Bengal. It is the same civil society here also which has raged a battle for instant justice in the Rizwanur case. One feels that while media and civil society has had salutary influence on the course of the case, the same should not unnecessarily interfere with the course of the investigation and trial.

(The writer is an additional district magistrate, Hooghly)