Can you ever imagine criminals and murderers bringing a drunken cop to police station? According to a news report, this happened in U.P. Two under trials lodged in Moradabad district jail facing charges of robbery and murder were brought to Bijnore for court hearing but found the court to be closed on account of Krishna Janmashthami festival. To enjoy the festival, the cops escorting the criminals decided to have booze. They asked the criminals to wait at a bus stand and went inside the liquor shop. Later finding the cops too drunk, the under trials escorted the cops to the nearest police station instead of running away! This is a strange case of bad boys turning good Samaritans while the cops showing how much irresponsible and careless they can be in discharging their duties. Is it not puzzling as to why these criminals were taken to court on a holiday and how the cops left them at the bus stand without any escort?
In an another incident, this too in U.P., a young IPS officer, additional Superintendent of Police in charge of traffic was assaulted and dragged in a car for almost a kilometer while chasing three police constables fleeing in a car. These police constables were caught red handed by her demanding bribes from lorry drivers on a roads intersection. Even though both the incidents happened in U.P., the modus operandi of the police are same every where from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.
Recently the Karnataka police has released a report by the Public affairs committee of Bangalore according to which ‘38% of policemen believe that corruptions part of the system and that honesty does not pay all the time. 64% police agreed that greed is the root cause of corruption’. This may be true to some extent because of the general perception that the ‘moolah’ so collected from the lower rank constable is shared up to the top level. But does it not mean that corruption is not on account of low salary or living condition but because of greed? Never the less, both the above cases bring the police force in a bad light. If there is one up right police like the one lady S. P., there are three others who are all ready to pull them down.
It is very rare that a positive story about police activity is ever flashed by the media. Even our films shown them in a bad light acting like a ‘buffoon’ or hand in glove with the criminals and smugglers (films like ‘Ardh Satya’ or ‘A Wednesday’ are exceptions). It is heartening to note that a NGO ‘Janaagraha’ from Bangalore has launched a website “I Paid a Bribe” to sensitize the public. www.ipaidabribe.com is a Janaagraha’s unique initiative to tackle corruption by harnessing the collective energy of citizens. It can be hoped that this site will bring out more such cases of corruption in all fields of life and the ‘non corrupt’ higher officials take note of such cases to punish the guilty, corrupt and irresponsible people in their respective departments for a better and cleaner image in the society.
( Sorry for the inconvenience as the comments button is not functioning for this particular post. You may mail me your opinion at my email Id- srayyangar@gmail.com)
I hope this comment reaches you! That was a good post about corruption in the police force and also in general. Yes, it comes as a shock to know that bribes taken by the police is not due to economic reasons, but because of greed. I have often heard said that one is more scared of the police than a goonda!
ReplyDeleteDue to some technical fault this post could not accept the comments for few days. I regret for the inconvenience, now its fine and you are welcome to post your opinions.
ReplyDeleteHitesh has left a new comment -
hi, i read the police story and was trying to comment on that....but it didn't allow be....or to say the comment window didn't come up ther.....
anyways about the post....... well although, as you said, that it's same from Kashmir to kanayakumari....but i haven't seen much of it in Bangalore..... it's only been an year and half but compared to Noida, UP where i was born and brought up.....corruption among police men is at its highest level.............completely agree that greed is the primary reason for it......they knew that what their salary will be if they join the force.....but in the back of their mind they must have had these ideas of under the table income .....may be that was the primary reason for them to join in.....
then i also believe...everybody doesn't get corrupted on the first day of the duty...i believe the whole existing system pushes them to be like them or else face discrimination.......
anyways....these are my assumptions....i don't know abt the ground realities ther..........
Lakshmi Rajan has left a new comment-
ReplyDeleteOur police institution needs a complete professional makeover. Today many people fear police and fear walking into police station even to file a complaint, this should change and the change can happen only with complete change in the system
recently there was a story about a police woman who was dragged one km hanging from an open car door by two policemen she caught collecting bribes from trucks...sorry state of affairs!
ReplyDeleteWhen I read about the IPS officer's incident I was shocked beyond words. The saddest part is these crooked policemen get support from their seniors.
ReplyDeleteAnd even after the national outrage the incident in Bareilly created, those constables were just suspended and not thrown out from the police force.
I did read about this in the papers sometime last week and found it quite amusing! Perhaps a sense of morals and a calling for duty needs to be inculcated among cops by the very people who they apprehend for violations of the law! Ha! Such is the irony!
ReplyDeleteAlso about the website, www.ipaidabribe.com, I think it is such a wonderful way of doing what the country needs the most in subjects such as these - awareness! Thanks for sharing!
Yes, I read both the news items. It was hilarious to see the drunk cops being ferried to the police station.
ReplyDeleteAlso, so true, the incident of the woman SP, so honest in her duty didnot get any limelight.
When people write bad about Govt or the system, I always feel bad for such honest and upright people. It is not possible for a system to survive, if nobody is working right.
It's good that u share useful links in your posts, even I try to do that!
shall be checking it.
RESTLESS
Reply/Comments via email from 'Janaagraha'-
ReplyDeleteRaghunandan
I thank you for your interesting post and your mentioning our initiative on it. It is the hope that citizens such as you have reposed in us, that gives us the strength to keep going.
Regards,
Raghu Thoniparambil
Interesting article on corruption in police and our mention in the last para.
Thanks,
Awanti
amazing tales!
ReplyDeleteSome one in ministry or department head should take actions appropriately to fix these issues. As a common man we can just highlight or bring attention to. Also this is something that should come from within of an individual. As one can cheat, loot, take bribe's thinking that no one is looking at him/her, but we forget soon that we ourselves are the biggest witness to what we do and how much so ever we try we can never run away from ourselves. How can we ever run away from Ourselves??? One day our inner concious will rattle us then we will have no place to hide or run..........hope that its not too late for a common man / human being.
ReplyDeleteVenkatesh
It shows the picture of our Indian community. When most of us are corrupted and involved in illegal activities at every step of life. We shouldn't expect good men to join police. such persons are every where in all departments and business. If we don't change our self, our community will never change. And we will find more & more of such people as policemen, ministers & executives.
ReplyDeleteRelevant post to the present times,what has to be borne in mind is that "Jaise praja waise raja"
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the site.
ReplyDeleteHey uncle ji!
ReplyDeleteHmmm...very colourful girly background,I actually like it,but I would rather expect a female to pick this background. Though I think that most people in India like colourful things:)
Thanx for ur comment on my blog.;) I always enjoy reading your writings.My cousin who had visited India some time ago, was also saying that there is a lot of corruption when it comes to the police force in India.