Nagpur: ‘Ek haath mein danda, doosre haath mein pyaar, tumko kya chahiye, bolo mere yaar,’ (stick in one hand, love in the other, what do you prefer, say my friend).
These were the words of the newly appointed city police chief BK Upadhyay who took over from K Venkatesham at the Civil Lines office on Wednesday. Unlike his predecessors, the top cop has an eight-year experience of working here in different capacities which gives him an upper hand.
Upadhyay, an IPS officer of the 1989 batch, sent a message loud and clear to the city’s goons. The gangsters who have been booked under MCOCA or are liable for any action would be “silenced”. He was accompanied by additional CP Shamrao Digawkar who had earlier worked as DCP in Solapur.
On being a CP in the CM’s city, Upadhyay said, “I believe in finding opportunities from within the challenges and converting it into an asset.”
Upadhyay said he would try and make police more visible. “In Solapur, I would myself hit the street with a stick in hand twice a week to send a message that we are here to do our jobs,” he said.
Hinting that Nagpurians should not be surprised to find him on the road, Upadhyay said, “The focus would be on ground-level policing.”
The CP added that area-wise lists would be prepared of eminent citizens from various walks of life, communities, castes, religions and other groups with who he will have a regular dialogue. “We need to approach citizens for inputs if we want to remain prepared for any developments. The other benefit of such a programme is ensuring that a vigil is kept on social tensions and paving way for communal cohesiveness,” said Upadhyay.
“The intelligence machinery would be strengthened. Help from NGOs would be taken for crime prevention,” said the
new CP.
Upadhyay, throwing lights on his priorities, said traffic and crime branch are two most crucial units of any commissionerate and he intends to improve both. “Image of the police depends much on the traffic cops as the citizens meet them more often. Traffic police is not there to generate revenue but manage a system,” he said.
The top cop also said that traffic cops should take a ‘human and positive approach’ and not harass citizens. “During office hours and school times, I would want cops to click images of the violators and issue e-challans. The system should be dynamic and not rigid,” said Upadhyay.
Upadhyay said women, children and senior citizens’ matters are sensitive and would form a core of his policing.
Earlier in the day, outgoing CP K Venkatesham and Jt CP Shivaji Bodkhe released a stamp of the city police. Commenting on his tenure, Venkatesham said he had tried to address multiple issues. “My intention was 100%, efforts 120% but result varied,” he said.
