HYDERABAD: The Police Department on Tuesday was the at receiving end of several mixed reactions, from tall praises to stinging criticism. While on one hand the department was appreciated for stopping a woman advocate from killing herself on the Telangana High Court premises, an audio clip of a conversation purportedly between her and an Inspector of the Ramagundam police commissionerate has drawn flak.
The manner in which the Inspector is heard speaking to the woman advocate is against the Police Department’s policy on addressing grievances and its motto of friendly policing. The incident has also sparked a discussion that probably the police behave similarly with people in rural areas.
After she was rescued, the woman advocate claimed that she had approached the Godavarikhani-I Town police station under the Ramagundam commissionerate to complain about another advocate, Murali. But she was frustrated with the police delaying the investigation.
In the audio clip, which has been widely shared on social media post her suicide bid, the woman is heard asking the Inspector about the status of her complaint, to which the officer purportedly answers her in an abusive manner and asks her how can he register an FIR on a complaint given in the past. He is also heard insisting that the woman come to the police station to sign and collect the FIR copy.
Inspector’s conduct raises eyebrows
Soon after she tried to end her life, the Ramagundam police issued a press release stating that the main accused in the case, Murali, had been arrested and further investigation is on to verify his family’s involvement, as alleged by her.
Nevertheless, the conversation and the manner in which the Inspector is heard speaking to the complainant has raised eyebrows. People have questioned that if the police speak to educated persons in such a manner, one can only imagine how they must be treating the illiterate in rural areas. This is despite repeated instructions from the government and department’s top brass on how to deal with complainants.
Senior police officials, though condemning the Inspector’s behaviour, have tried to give him the benefit of the doubt — he may have been vexed with the her changing versions, they said. But they maintained that every police officer should be extremely patient while dealing with complainants, especially women.