like-army-in-pakistan-police-in-punjab-is-as-powerful

In a matrimonial dispute the moment the boy's family realised its case was weak, it approached the MLA who belonged to the ruling party in Punjab. The MLA found the easiest way out. He got the girl’s father booked under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The complainant had never ever met the father of the girl, so there was no question of his abusing him (the complainant). But the local MLA, who has complete say in getting the SHOs and DSPs posted, had the final say. That is what the police officials do. They remain loyal to the person who gets them privileged posting rather than the law they are supposed to protect.

 

The poor father of the girl was booked under the draconian act under an offence that is non-bailable. He was on the run and was eventually declared a proclaimed offender for an offence he never committed. In the process he lost track of the case of his daughter. The boy’s family is trying to force a compromise without returning various articles, particularly the gold jewellery.

 

That is just one small example of how the Punjab Police work. The decade-long terrorism has left multiple ugly legacies in Punjab. Unbridled abuse of power by the police is one of them. And it still continues. However, the real culprit is the political leadership, irrespective of the dispensation. Whichever dispensation is in power, it abuses power against everyone, including its political opponents using the police, who are unquestioningly compliant to the fault, literally. In the process these police officials abuse power more for their own personal interests than their political masters who award them with lucrative postings.

 

Auctioning of “lucrative” positions, whether in police or other wings of administration, whether in Punjab or elsewhere in the country is no secret at all. It is neither a secret nor an exaggeration that there are many police officials in Punjab, who have accumulated huge assets far disproportionate to their known sources of income. At the same time, there are quite a few officers, from both the Indian Police Service and the Punjab Police Service, who are scrupulously honest. Since they are of no use to the political bosses who want to abuse power, such officers mostly remain side-lined.

 

It is something akin to the Pakistan army’s reputation that its officers accumulate huge wealth and prime real estate assets, infamously described as “corner plots”.

 

Whether the Shiromani Akali Dal, Congress or Aam Aadmi Party, each one of them has misused the police, mainly against its political opponents right from the senior leadership to the grassroots workers, or to serve their personal interests. This ends up in a symbiotic relationship between the cops and politicians. While politicians make them commit different wrongs, the cops exploit the politicians’ weakness to their own advantage.

 

Also read: DIG arrested from Mohali office in ‘corruption’ case

 

When one of the Punjab Police Deputy Inspectors General was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation after being trapped in, what looks like, an open and shut case of corruption, many politicians must have been awed by the quantum of cash seized from his residence. A CBI press statement claimed to have seized about Rs 5 crore in cash in wads of Rs 500 notes, about 1.5 kg of gold jewellery, documents of various immovable and moveable properties.

 

Corruption in Punjab is endemic. It is not only the police but most other wings of the administration which remain neck deep in corruption. Any department with public dealing, be it the police, the local bodies like municipal councils or corporations, revenue department, to name just a few, and where the officials can exercise some discretion, the level of corruption is criminally extortionist.

 

It was no doubt during terrorism in Punjab when the police had unbridled powers that the rot and abuse started. But the successive governments did not try to make any course correction in the working of the police. Instead, they tried to use the police force for their own personal and political advantage. As there is no deterrent or fear, the abuse of power goes on unabated. Rather, those indulging in it get political patronage from those in power.

 

While it is the political patronage that leads to abuse of power, the courts have also not been able to check it. Every FIR ends up in courts. The judiciary can apply its mind and use its powers to check the abuse. In fact, the very fact that the police can only investigate the matter and have to present the case before the courts is aimed at protecting people and preventing any injustice. If the police had any fear of law, they would not be doing anything wrong.

 

Even if proven guilty and sentenced, some of the police personnel continue working in the department and even holding important positions where they have to directly deal with the public. Imagine someone having been convicted of an offence continuing with his job. He will no longer have any fear, even if he had any, at some stage.

 

Inquiries, investigations, charge-sheets and in some cases even convictions don’t mean anything in Punjab Police. Even the Punjab and Haryana High Court has taken note of it and has asked the Director General of Police, Punjab, to submit the list of such officials who are facing inquiries and investigations and still continuing in service.

 

There is an unholy nexus between the political class of all shades that allows large-scale corruption across the system. The extent and depth of the nexus can be felt from the complete silence opposition political parties have maintained in this case. Normally, political opponents of the government would grab such a case to grill the government and accuse it of patronising the corrupt.

 

But here in this case, the opposition chose to remain silent and not for unknown reasons. Everyone sails in the same boat.