KOCHI: Policing the cops was a tough job for Justice K Narayana Kurup, who often courted controversy by pulling up police officers for misconduct and interfering in cases midway through the investigation.
Justice Kurup, who stepped down as Chairman of the State Police Complaints Authority (SPCA) on May 29, was truly a corrective force trying to discipline the state police that always hogged the limelight for all the wrong reasons. Many orders issued by the SPCA had triggered controversies and top police officers had criticised him for overstepping the bounds of his role.
The summons issued to the investigation officer in the Jisha murder case for ‘inexcusable lapses’ in the probe, his recent order to provide a compensation of `50 lakh to a school bus driver who was allegedly tortured in custody and implicated in a fake case had won him applause.
Justice Kurup said he would pen a book on his three-year tenure, which has been punctuated with controversies. The book tentatively titled ‘Kallanum Policum’ (The Thief and the Police) is likely to shed light on the dark side of police behaviour.
He is also planning to bring out the second edition of his book, ‘Ladies and Gentleman’, a collection of 67 speeches delivered by him on an array of subjects, including law, health, medicine, life insurance and others during the last three decades.
Excerpts of an interview:
Q: What is your biggest accomplishment?
A: I’ve sent a strong message to the police force that misconduct by word or deed will not be tolerated. My focus was on transforming the police and making them follow the etiquette. I tried to pass the message that police personnel should use decent language and end custodial torture. I think the use of abusive language has come down. Another achievement is bringing curbs on illegal searches by the police.
Q: What is required to deliver justice to the victims?
A: The judiciary is unapproachable for the common man and when the state or its instruments inflict mortal wounds, expecting remedial justice is like asking for the moon. It is high time we introduce a system for speedy delivery of justice covering all aspects, including compensation.
Q: Do you think the police lack adequate training?
A: The training place has a key role in moulding the personality of a police officer. If values are not inculcated during the training programme, it will lead to occupational deviance. There is something wrong with the training imparted to the 2014 batch sub-inspectors as a majority of them are involved in custodial torture.