When fence eats the crop: No cases against cops for framing man  

BENGALURU: More often than not, police personnel who are caught on the wrong side of the law get away with just a suspension. Though there is a provision to book criminal cases against them, generally this is not done, and those caught on the wrong foot rejoin service after the suspension is revoked.

On Thursday, four police staffers, including the inspector of RMC Yard police station, Parvathamma, were suspended for allegedly forcing a man to smoke ganja and falsely booking him under the Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The victim, unable to bear the humiliation, later attempted to kill himself by consuming poison. Though the errant police staff can be booked for criminal offence, no case was registered against them. They were only suspended. 

Senior police officers TNIE spoke to said they (suspended staff) can be booked under applicable sections of the IPC for hoisting a false case, but a departmental enquiry can bring them to justice by awarding the maximum punishment, which is dismissal from the service, based on the evidence.

Former DG & IGP ST Ramesh said that in this particular case, it will be difficult to link the police action and the subsequent suicide bid by the victim. “Of course, a criminal case can be registered against them. It is the discretion of senior officers to book them, but a proper departmental enquiry is more effective in such cases. The maximum punishment that can be awarded through departmental enquiries is dismissal,” he explained.

He noted that if a criminal case is booked against errant officials, the legal aspects will take more time. “Delivering quick justice is as important as giving punishment. Quick justice can be delivered through departmental enquiries, whereas legal trial can prolong the delivery of justice,” Ramesh said. A serving IPS officer said booking officials under criminal cases is decided based on the seriousness of the offence.