maharastra police: Maharashtra cops among most corrupt

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra police once enjoyed a reputation that befit the state's status as the country's most developed. But in recent years, its image has taken a severe beating. Rape, extortion, underworld links, disproportionate assets, custodial death, fake encounter, shoddy investigation of cases leading to frameups ...the list of charges is as long as the list of policemen whose wrongdoings have been exposed in the media with almost metronomic regularity.

From 2006 to 2010, over 21,000 cases were registered against state policepersons, including ones of illegal detention and custodial death. The statistic, by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), puts the state police fifth on a list headed by Madhya Pradesh (93,710 complaints), followed by Uttar Pradesh (34,364), Delhi (29,165) and Punjab (23,090).

For a proper appreciation of the data, knowledge of the police strength of the states and the police-population ratio there is necessary. Strength: Madhya Pradesh, 77,617; Uttar Pradesh, 1,70,000; Delhi, 57,500; Punjab, 30,000; Maharashtra, 1,80,000. Police persons per 10,000 people : MP, 12.16; UP, 10.68; Delhi, 42.4; Punjab, 30.76; Maharashtra, 17.93.

If data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) on complaints against policemen is considered along with the police strength of the states, the comparison shows that the cases against the Maharashtra police are proportionately less than their counterparts in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Punjab—the top four states on the NCRB list. But still, the company Maharashtra is keeping with these top four is unenviable : MP and UP, among a quartet of underdeveloped states that includes Bihar and Rajasthan, are where the police have historically had a low image; the same is with Delhi and Punjab.

So what has propelled Maharashtra into this league?

"Wrong exercise of power ," said former director general of police S S Puri. "This is the main problem that is causing criminal cases against the state's policepersons to rise."

Another reason is collusion of senior officers with their juniors, said former IPS officer and advocate Y P Singh. "Because of this, no action is taken against errant cops. Inaction emboldens those down the ranks, which has a cascading effect. There is a dire need to implement police reforms (changing the functional structure of the force)."

One more reason is that people in the state are better informed and aware of their rights, said joint commissioner of police (crime) Himanshu Roy. This leads to victims of police persecution to come forward and register complaints, he said. "The picture will be clearer if a ratio of the absolute number of cases registered against the state's policemen per 1,000 people is taken into account. I must add, however, that the police department takes stern action against its members who are found guilty of abuse of authority."

Among the most glaring examples of abuse of authority is the case of senior inspector Arun Borude. Months after sleazy details of how he repeatedly raped a 15-year-old Powai girl started appearing, he allegedly committed suicide in December last year.

Most recently, the name of an officer of assistant commissioner rank cropped up in the J Dey murder case. The officer, Anil Mahabole, has had charges levelled against him in the past as well. He was suspended in 2007 for alleged underworld links.

In April this year, Malwani police sub-inspector Munir Shaikh was arrested for allegedly compelling a domestic help, Kunda Shinde, to commit suicide. This was his second arrest.

"The police are supposed to provide security to the people and ensure their welfare. Here, it is not the case," said Shakil Ahmed, member of the NGO Nirbhay Bano Andolan. "The police in the state are misusing their powers to the detriment of the public."

A senior police officer said most of the complaints pertain to accepting bribes to either pursue a case or sometimes alter the course of investigation in cases. "Police officers often make victims of crime run from pillar to post till they agree to pay a bribe. This is absolutely shameful."

Former Thane police commissioner SPS Yadav suggested deterrents like putting in place a special agency to deal with complaints against police. "These complaints should be immediately looked into. If they are justified, stern action should be taken against the offenders. This will set an example and discourage policepersons from abusing power and indulging in illegal activities."

There are voices in defence of the state police as well. Former Mumbai police commissioner M N Singh said: "Complaints are registered against policepersons in the state for various reasons . The force in Maharashtra is one of the largest in the country. The number of complaints should be seen in terms of a comparison of a state's population with its police strength."

A senior police officer from the central suburbs said: "It is not that rogue cops are allowed to do as they please. A departmental inquiry is carried out against a policeperson if he faces charges. This process is clearly visible if one considers the cases of senior inspector Pradeep Sharma and inspector Pradeep Suryavanshi, who are in custody for allegedly conducting fake encounters.

"Sharma was initially hailed as a hero for his prowess as an encounter specialist . His count was over 100. But still he was arrested over the 2006 encounter of gangster Ram Narayan (alias Lakhan Bhaiya)."

He said that though Maharashtra ranks high on the NCRB list, there is a big difference with other states.

"Arbitrary arrest, illegal detention and torture are rampant across India. Maharashtra is no exception. But here, there are fewer instances of the force as a whole covering up for its guilty members."