NAGPUR: Citizens slammed
police department for failing to meet expectations after a Right to Information (
RTI) query by activist Abhay Kolarkar exposed the khaki department as the most corrupt one among the government agencies. Police saw maximum cases of trapped while taking bribe (22) on them in 2017 by
State Anti-corruption Bureau (ACB) Nagpur region covering six districts of eastern Vidarbha.
The reply to RTI query also revealed the dubious record of accepting maximum amount of total bribe of around Rs 3.85 lakh was with forest personnel in 10 traps. But the cops surpassed were a close second here too with total bribe amount exceeding Rs 3.53 lakh. The second department in terms of number of traps was Revenue with (14) in which they had accepted Rs 3.37 lakh bribe as per reply. Four Class-I officers of police department were among those held for accepting bribe apart from 24 Class III personnel in 22 cases.
The expose contradicts the tall claims made about the city police by a private institute through a survey report on various parameters of security aspects conducted on the performance of the khaki personnel. Though the ACB reply is about police units in six districts, local activists claimed the department as a whole needed to be more sincere than what it is.
Former Child Welfare Committee chairperson Dr
Ranjana Pardhi said police should spend money on information network to bring in more inputs regarding criminals and such anti-social elements than on colourful displays at junctions to flaunt their good work like politicians. “Police station in-charges most of the time are in the know of the things happening in their jurisdiction but it is the ‘hafta’ (protection money) that does the talking,” she said.
“Until cops allow, illegal activities or rackets cannot thrive,” she added. “At police stations, only the influential and rich get fair support,” said Dr Pardhi.
Advocate activist
Tushar Mandlekar said acquittals were nothing but fallouts of malpractices at the police station level. “There is a clear nexus between cops and accused when the chargesheets lack substance. Even ACB is not out of shadow of doubt as their cases too fail more often than not. After all, it is the same police that are in ACB and also in other units,” he said. “ACB mostly catches only babus, constables and lower rank officials. Where are the big sharks,”
Mandlekar asked.
An upset rape survivor said police had prepared such weak and loose case that her FIR itself got quashed at High court even when she had enough reasons to seek justice. “The accused now blows horns of his bike outside my home and flashes a grin at me when I come out,” she added.
Prof Neelima Deshmukh, also member secretary of the
RTM Nagpur university sexual harassment cell, said ground reality was much worse than what the RTI reply revealed. “One cannot expect justice from police even when in the right if there are no influential contacts,” she said.
Young politician Salil Deshmukh too said there was a strong link between corruption and crime rate. “If citizens are not satisfied or get relief then there is no meaning,” he said. “The cops have to deal strictly with situations before it aggravates,” said Deshmukh.
