JOIN USThe news of three police constables assaulting their own SP in BareiIly in Uttar Pradesh has caused nation wise consternation. On Sept 2, Kalpana Saxena, a young IPS officer, who is the additional superintendent of police, in charge of traffic, learnt that three of her constables were collecting bribes from lorry drivers.
Ever since assuming charge Kalpana had declared a war on corrupt traffic policemen. When she got the news that her subordinates were standing at an intersection and demanding bribes, Kalpana who was in civil dress, reportedly went to the spot along with her gunman and a constable in a private car to the spot.
She caught the three constables red-handed. One of the constables recognised her as his new boss and immediately all the three ran towards a private car which they had parked nearby. As they sat in the car and were driving away, Kalpana caught hold of the collar of the driver. At this juncture the driver is said to have started the car and moved the car forward rolling up the windowpane. Kalpana’s hand was stuck in the car window and she was dragged by the speeding car for almost one kilometre.
Rescue
Kalpana’s gunman who was shocked by the incident raised a hue and cry and subsequently Kalpana was rescued. The three policemen, who have now absconded, have been placed under suspension and a hunt is on to trace them.
This incident has once again brought to focus the topic of police corruption. What is co-incidental is that on the day Kalpana’s incident occurred, Karnataka police released a report by the Public Affairs Committee of Bangalore which stated that 38 per cent of the policemen believe that corruption is part of the system and that honesty does not pay all the time.
Karnataka has the best recruitment system in the entire country. This ISO-9001 certified system has become a model for other police forces in the country as one of the most transparent police recruitment system. Despite such a system being in place if 38 per cent of the policemen believe that corruption is a necessity, it is incumbent to ascertain why such an attitude has evolved.
Though many people believe that low salaries are a cause of corruption, it is not a valid reason. Every policeman in our state gets a salary for 13 months. He gets free uniform, free rations and 40 per cent of them get free housing. If the above perks are taken into account, a policeman’s salary is commensurate with the knowledge, skills, and responsibilities that are required for the post. If despite this, a need is felt for corruption, one can only term it as greedy as has been agreed by 64 per cent of policemen who took part in the Public Affairs Committee study.
Corruption is also a cause for indiscipline. If quick and deterrent punishment is not meted out to the corrupt personnel by their superior officers discipline will be a casualty as the corrupt will feel that nothing would happen to them and start misbehaving with not only their colleagues but also their superiors. Their increasing monetary gains may also cause such a behaviour. Of late we are also seeing a tendency among senior officers to overlook infringements by their subordinates.
Compared to yesteryears, very few policemen are dismissed or removed from service nowadays. Even in serious cases of indiscipline, the punishment is not proportional to the gravity of misconduct. Hence, there is no fear of punishment and fear of superior officers has also vanished among the subordinate staff which comprises of 75 per cent of the force.
If indiscipline in the police force is not immediately curbed and if superior officers tend to ignore the misdeeds of their juniors and if the society does not sit up and demand deterrent action against errant policemen, many more cases such as Kalpana Saxena’s will happen.
(The author is DGP, CID, Karnataka, and the views expressed are personal)