DGP: Haryana police to be people-friendly
From Ravi S.Singh
Tribune News Service
GURGAON, Oct 29 — The Haryana Police now will make efforts to improve its image by being "people friendly" on the one hand and strike terror among the anti-social elements on the other. This was the dominant message that emanated from the marathon meeting of the Director General of Police of Haryana, Mr S.P.S. Rathore, with all the Range Inspectors General of Police, District Superintendents of police of six districts bordering Delhi and senior police officers, here yesterday. The meeting which began at about 5 pm went on late in the evening. Addressing the officers, Mr Rathore stressed on the need of the police to be people-friendly and free registration of crimes. He also stressed on the reduction of response time of the police after any incident of crime was reported to it. As if to set an example, the DGP prefaced his meeting with the officers by visiting the family of a jeweller of Gurgaon, Mr Satish Jain, who was shot dead by some persons, a few days ago. Although the police declined from commenting on the details of the investigation in the case, wide-ranging apprehension is that members of a gang was involved in it. The police chief expressed sympathy with to the bereaved family. The DGP had convened the meeting of the police officers to review organised crime and activities of gangsters active in districts of Haryana surrounding Delhi. Mr Rathore made special mention about the treatment to be given to women and children by the police force.He specifically directed that no women shall be called to Police Station before sunrise and sun set and that women shall be questioned only in the presence of women police officers and their relatives. He said that separate cells to deal with the crime against women would be created in each district. Mr Rathore also underlined the need for greater day-to-day co-ordination and sharing of information with their counterparts in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. There appears to be a basis behind this line of thinking on the part of the top brass of the state police. In the past few months a number of gangs having base in the neighbouring states have started operating in some parts of Haryana. Sometimes they are reported to be using the state as their hide-outs. Incidentally, the DGPs of the northern states are tipped to meet sometime next month. He directed the officers to identify the gangs operating in the districts surrounding Delhi and raise a "Task Force" at the Range-level to deal effectively with them. For modernising the Haryana Police to deal effectively with organised crime, he said that the computer based finger print detection system will be introduced in the state, which will connect all the district headquarters with the Central Computer Wing for expeditious results. Addressing reporters after the meeting with the police officers, Mr Rathore lamented that the force was working under constraints of shortage of manpower. According to him, the exigency of the situation demands for doubling the present strength of the force. The present strength is about 35,000. The overcrowding of jails, slow pace of trials in the courts, lack of initiative on the part of the prosecution agency and witness turning hostile in the courts of law required attention, he added. He expressed anguish over the low rate of conviction,especially in heinous crimes and hardened criminals nabbed after serious efforts by the police manage to get away from the clutches of law. Mr Rathore, made a sensational disclosure saying that the criminals had poached on the security net network of the jails. When Prohibition was enforced in Haryana, the inmates of the jails managed to smuggle in liquor. All kinds of contrabands and narcotics were availed easily by them. This, he said while building on a theory that the management and supervision of crimes effectively hinged on the four pillars: police, prosecution, the jails and the judiciary. Referring to the discipline in the force, Mr Rathore warned of strict action anyone found breaking it. Those found negligent the in discharge of duties would be severely punished. He sent a clear message by ordering immediate transfer of a Station House Officer of Gurgaon city, Mr Amrik Singh following his visit here. He said that Mr Amrik Singh had been transferred in connection with the shooting of Mr Satish Jain, whose house he visited after his arrival here. He further said that a "departmental inquiry has been initiated for his dismissal." He had visited Mr Jain's house to have first hand information about the response of the police in the case. He urged all not to relate the number of cases registered with the efficiency of the police. It is travesty of truth that the high registration of cases is taken as reflection on the police. Incidentally, in a recent meeting with the Chief Minister of Haryana, Mr Om Prakash Chautala,he had expressed similar sentiments. According to Mr Rathore, the present Chief Minister has given a clear cut brief to the force:to root out corruption and curb crime.He appreciated the empathy the Chief Minister showed with the force and said that it would go to any extent to maintain law and order in the state.
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