Nagpur police, a house of corruption….Proshun Chakraborty
NAGPUR: On Friday, a final year student in city’s well-known engineering college was approached by a head constable from Rana Pratap Nagar police station. The cop openly demanded Rs 1,000 from the student for police verification needed for his passport. “When I asked him why he wants money, the cop simply replied that if I did not pay, the passport will be delayed,” the student told TOI requesting anonymity.
The student said that inspired by Anna Hazare, he had decided to get the cop caught while accepting bribe but his parent intervened and advised him not to invite their wrath. He then quietly paid Rs 1,000 to the cop and got the routine procedure completed.
It is just a tip of the iceberg. Police remain among the most corrupt departments anywhere. Manoj Purandare, a resident of north Nagpur, claimed that even basic work like reporting a theft could not be done without bribing the officials or using some influence. Purandare said that recently his neighbour had gone to a police station to lodge a complaint when he lost valuables including mobile phone to a pickpocket. The police were just not ready to register the complaint but when offered a bribe, they did.
In many cases, the complainants were forced to report that their valuables had gone missing when in reality they were stolen. Victims are even threatened if they insist on lodging complaints. “Even if a case somehow gets registered, police do not take any action,” alleged a resident who did not wish to be named.
There are many things for which men in khakhi demand gratification. One is to speed up investigations. Complainants claimed cops did not move against suspects unless palms were greased. Otherwise, they do not even spare the grieving families for completing inquest panchanama of a person who had committed suicide. Cops are known to encash the opportunity if someone even goes to report accident case. Besides, the police often torture people until a ‘confession’ is obtained to save influential and wealthy offenders.
The traffic cops are infamous for exploiting citizens. They demand and accept bribes from not only traffic violators but also allow illegal vendors to do business on busy roads. For instance, vendors at busy Variety Square are always blocking the road under the patronage of traffic cops.
A senior police official admitted it was really a matter of shame for the department. The fact is that there were many black sheep who were not ashamed to demand money for little things, he said. “These characters bring a bad name to entire department which otherwise is doing well,” he said. Besides, many cops were nabbed by Anti-Corruption Bureau while demanding and accepting bribes. Many also faced suspension.
Ways To Eradicate Corruption
Overtime for cops: One reason for corruption in police is that policemen are underpaid and overworked. Cops often put in more than eight hours and sometimes work round the clock. Still, they never get overtime. If they get paid better, there will be less corruption to some extent
Impartial agency: Corruption within the police is often investigated by the cops themselves who are naturally lenient towards their colleagues. An impartial agency to investigate police corruption may help
Stringent action: Strict action like summary dismissal of corrupt cops could go long way in curbing bribery
Ban torture: The use of ‘third degree’ must be banned and police officer engaging in it must be punished. Fear of torture leads many innocent people to bribe cops instead of fighting the case on merit
Surprise checks: Senior officials should carry out surprise checks of police stations and spots. They should also be accessible by common people and hear public’s grievances