Punjab: Police officers to be held accountable for crimes in their areas, says CM Mann

Instructions issued for fair investigation into complaints regarding false FIRs registered in some districts, says DGP Gaurav Yadav; responsive policing should be ensured to check crime, says CM

Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday said police officers would be held accountable for major crimes taking place in the areas under their jurisdiction. Interacting with the commissioners of police and senior superintendents of police here, the CM said that effective and responsive policing should be ensured to check crime in the state. He said the state police are “one of the best forces” in the country, and their glorious tradition to preserve unity, integrity and sovereignty of the country should be maintained by all means. “Justice should be dispensed to the people and ethos of communal harmony, peace and brotherhood should be cemented,” he added.

Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann during a meeting with the top police officers in Chandigarh on Tuesday. (PTI)

The CM said the state government would embark on major police reforms. “The state government has already laid major thrust on police modernisation. Cops are being equipped with world class vehicles,” he further said.

According to Mann, unlawful activities should be dealt with a heavy hand and police should lay thrust on intelligence gathering and dispensation of justice. “War against drugs should be transformed into a mass movement and panchayats’ participation should be encouraged,” he reiterated, adding that the supply line of drugs in the state must be further snapped with heavy hand and a zero-tolerance policy should be adopted.

The CM said the properties of the drug smugglers be confiscated and big fishes be put behind the bars besides ensuring strict action against the gangsters.

Regarding corruption, he said even that prevailing in echelons of police needs to be checked with a heavy hand and the black sheep should be identified. “Cops with dubious character are bringing bad names to the police and this should be checked,” the CM said.

Recalling the role of the Punjab Police in combating terrorism, Mann called for better coordination of cops with people to check the crime rate. Mann asked the officers to conduct a surprise check in the areas under their jurisdiction.

CM Mann also issued strict instructions to the police for fair investigation into complaints he received regarding false FIRs registered in some districts, said DGP Yadav said. Yadav further said the CM also directed that the SSPs carry out surprise inspections of police stations and hold public meetings in order to conduct policing in a professional manner.

Talking to reporters, DGP Yadav said the chief minister received complaints about a trend of registering false FIRs in some districts.

“The state government has zero tolerance towards fake FIRs. The health department has also been directed to prepare MLR (medico-legal report) on merit,” said Yadav. Replying to a question on several incidents of blasts outside police stations, Yadav said Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is consistently trying to create disturbance in Punjab. “Punjab is fighting the nation’s battle,” he said.

To another question, Yadav said the state police would bring back from jails in other states 45 criminals wanted for crimes committed in Punjab. He said the state government has approved an ambitious plan of ₹500 crore for the upgradation of jails in the state.

A sum of ₹100 crore has been approved for the setting up of a modern jail for hardcore criminals in Ludhiana, he further said. (With PTI inputs)