KOCHI: Recent controversial incidents — right from Sreejith’s custodial death case in Varapuzha to the murder of Kevin Joseph — have put tremendous pressure on state police chief Loknath Behera to streamline the policing which has gone for a toss in the past couple of months.
Though the police personnel concerned in both the incidents have faced action, there is a brewing discontent within the ranks of police officers about local political interference in the functioning of police stations.
A section of higher officers say the police function effectively due to different layers of strict monitoring and this monitoring has gone haywire with Sub Inspectors, DySPs and Superintendents in charge of law and order dancing to the tune of local politicians.
“Officers in each layer should have a fear that all his/her actions are being thoroughly watched by their higher officers. Only a disciplined command line instill this fear. Officers’ political connections have destroyed this command line giving the officers space for a free run,” said a top cop on condition of anonymity.
When asked about local political interference in policing, Behera said, “Police officers have no authority to act as per the orders of local politicians. They should go only by the rules and law. If a police officer feels that a local politician is interfering in his duty, he or she should immediately call me. The department will stand by officers who report it and will take corrective measures. I don’t know why these officers obey orders from local politicians. They should bluntly say no to such interferences.”
“Police officers should understand that no political leaders will come to their rescue if they do something wrong acting on the whims and fancies of politicians. We will definitely take action against the erring police personnel,” Behera said, adding that there is a grievance cell for the police personnel under respective range IGs to report about political pressures and other personal issues.
Another senior police officer alleged that the posting of inspectors and DySPs these days are done on political grounds to ensure that political parties have an influence in local police.“It’s a fact that a lot of experienced police officers have been sidelined. If local political inference is not put under check, policing will become much worse in the coming days,” the senior officer added.
SHRC asks DGP to probe lapses on cops’ part
T’Puram: The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) on Monday directed state police chief Loknath Behera to conduct a detailed probe into the alleged lapses by the cops in the abdu-ction and death of Kevin P Joseph.
In the order, SHRC member K Mohan Kumar directed Behera to submit a report of the probe, complete with details of the follow-up action the police took after Kevin’s wife approached them with the kidnapping complaint. The SHRC, which took suo motu cognisance of the incident following media reports, termed the allegation the cops refused to act on the complaint of Kevin’s wife as ‘serious.’