MANGALORE: Life indeed is hard for cops and even harder for those cops who are assigned to the duty of serving summons.
With litigant-happy citizens abounding in Dakshina Kannada district, their cup of woes is virtually overflowing. In connection with the Cyanide Mohan case, a cop was asked to serve summons to a doctor working at K R Hospital in Mysore.
On reaching Mysore, he was told that the doctor was transferred to Nanjangud.
As with all summons, this cop too had to race against time in order to ensure that the witness deposes before the judge on the scheduled day. On reaching Nanjangud, he learnt that the doctor was working in a remote village called Thagadooru and the place was connected by a lone bus, which had already left.
After shelling out `60 as fare for an autorickshaw, he reached the village and thanked his stars on discovering that the doctor was present in the house. Spending close to `1,000 from his own pocket, what did the cop get in bargain?
Plain abuses from all and sundry, for the doctor failed to appear in the court.
In instances where witnesses never turn up in cases leading to acquittals, the court hauls the cops over the coals.
Strictures are also issued against the cop who served the summons, informs a constable in Bantwal police station who received one such stricture and cut in increment for failing to trace a witness who was in Bihar.
In a first ever meeting of cops serving summons and warrants, convened by the previous Superintendent of Police Labhu Ram, cops at length have highlighted the hardships they encountered while delivering summons.
The men were forced to manage all expenses, including lodging charges, with a DA of Rs 75.
A cop in Beltangady police station receiving a monthly allowance of Rs 1,750 to Rs 2,000 for serving roughly over 300 summons a month, rues on being forced to spend his meager salary on serving summons.
For the top brass in the Police Department, end justifies means as they keep insisting on increased efficiency in issuing summons and warrants.