Discontent is brewing among the police personnel in the city over the perceived haughtiness of the newly appointed Deputy Commissioner Aishwarya Dongre, who ordered a woman cop to two days traffic duty for allegedly failing to recognise her during an inspection. Ms, Dongre dropped in at the women’s police station adjoining the Town North station, reportedly to inspect a cleaning drive on Sunday. As she was about to enter the station, the woman cop on sentry duty asked her not to do so in view of the pandemic restrictions reportedly on failing to recognise the superior officer in civil dress and with her mask on. This didn’t go down well with Ms. Dongre, who summoned the policewoman to her office on Monday and deployed her for two days’ traffic duty, which was widely perceived as a punitive measure. Ms. Dongre, however, said that it was a misperception. “She was on sentry duty and not found to be alert when a senior officer’s vehicle came and stopped at the police station. As part of her duty, she was expected to exert maximum alertness which wasn’t done. As a result, she was given two days’ traffic duty for not being alert on duty,” she reasoned.
The Kerala Police Association (KPA), however, said that this sort of punishment was uncalled for where a mere warning would have been sufficient. “Ms. Dongre has assumed charge only recently and hence, the policewoman would have failed to recognise her immediately. She could have been let off with a warning considering the peculiar circumstances in view of the pandemic that added to the confusion,” said KPA sources.
