BHOPAL: The Madhya Pradesh High Court has flagged to the state police department higher-ups about “intoxication” of mobile phones/social media among the police personnel and called for remedial measures.
Hearing a writ petition recently, the HC’s division bench (at its principal seat Jabalpur), comprising Justices Anand Pathak and Puspendra Yadav mentioned in it’s order, “This Court craves the attention of senior officers of the police department about intoxication of mobile phones/social media among the uniform-clad departments, like the police.”
“Nowadays it is commonly observed that guards on bungalow duties, court duties, law and order duties or duties inter alia where police personnel posted at a place where they have to do sedentary jobs, are involved in observing social media.”
“This creates indiscipline, casualness in duties and at times incriminating social media clips, pollute the mind and affect the disposition of police personnel. This issue deserves the attention of senior police officers and remedial measures as well,” the HC said in its six-page order recently.
The HC recommended incorporation of sensitisation programs in police training centres for constables, sub-inspectors and other officers and a mechanism for the supervision of on-duty police personnel's social media presence.
The HC further directed to send a copy of the Court’s order to the state’s Director General of Police, state PHQ-Bhopal, ADG (Administration) and ADG (Training) of the state police for information and contemplation.
The two-judges bench passed the order, while hearing a writ petition filed by a former police guard/constable against his compulsory retirement from service in 2007, on being caught sleeping under influence of alcohol during duty at the bungalow of a protectee in Gwalior district.
The Court ruled that the decision to compulsorily retire the policeman was not disproportionate to the charge levelled against him and thus, rejected his appeal.
“The petitioner was the member of guard duty at the residence of a Protectee, therefore, he was required to be more vigilant for the purpose he was deputed and this intoxication may breed indiscipline and may cause accident/mishap at the hands of guard himself, who is meant to protect the person for whose security he is deputed as guard. Apart from the present departmental proceedings, earlier also the petitioner was punished for remaining absent on the duty. Thus, the conduct of petitioner also assumes importance as he appears to be habitual of dereliction of duty,” the HC stated in its order.