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Delhi Police has done everything right. We have zero regrets: Bassi

Hindustan Times | By, New Delhi
Mar 01, 2016 02:23 PM IST

The Delhi Police chief may have been surrounded by several controversies off late, at the end of a relatively smooth tenure of two years and seven months. He spoke to HT about how his term was “extremely satisfying”, “fruitful” and “great fun”.

The Delhi Police chief may have been surrounded by several controversies off late, at the end of a relatively smooth tenure of two years and seven months. He spoke to HT about how his term was “extremely satisfying”, “fruitful” and “great fun”.

The Delhi Police chief may have been surrounded by several controversies off late, at the end of a relatively smooth tenure of two years and seven months.(Sonu Mehta/ Hindustan Times)
The Delhi Police chief may have been surrounded by several controversies off late, at the end of a relatively smooth tenure of two years and seven months.(Sonu Mehta/ Hindustan Times)

What was your main responsibility when you took charge as commissioner? Was it fulfilled?

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Whatever I thought needed to be done has been done. I came with an agenda for truthful registration of cases which we successfully achieved. I laid an emphasis on free registration of crime cases and it went up from 54,000 cases in 2013 to 1,90,000 in 2015. It is my guarantee that no complainant can now say that case is not being registered at a local police station. I came with the vision to ingrain this in Delhi Police and the result has been heartening. Secondly, I believe technology can help policing in a big way. I took steps to get my officers trained in technology.

Your relationship with the Delhi government, especially CM Kejriwal, bagged a lot of headlines. Your comments?

It is very unfortunate that Mr Kejriwal did not fully appreciate the functional autonomy of the Delhi Police. The force’s actions based on merit and mandated by law have been misconstrued and projected differently. We in the force did not in the least expect motivated allegations born out of vendetta.

You have been criticised for a knee-jerk reaction to the JNU row and acting on the behest of the Centre. Your view?

It is unfortunate that an unwarranted controversy is being generated by certain quarters. Action by Delhi Police under 164A is based on merit and the investigation has been fair. Delhi Police works without fear. It is the Delhiites’ good fortune that the police functioning is not subjected to extraneous pressures... Unnecessary controversy is being perceived by some people in something that is not controversial.

Should the Delhi Police be under the state government?

It will not be desirable. The system established has stood the test of time for four decades. Policing requirements never failed citizens of Delhi, despite limited resources. This has not been the case with other organs of the state. For instance, the ambulance services in Delhi have not kept the pace with the city’s growth. Our PCR vans rush 200 persons to hospital each day, which is done nowhere in the world. The state should concentrate on governance and leave policing to the department.

Do you have any regrets?

The Delhi Police has done everything right. We have zero regrets. In fact, the tenure has been very satisfying. It has been bumpy, but I had great fun.

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  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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    Ananya Bhardwaj was part of Hindustan Times’ nationwide network of correspondents that brings news, analysis and information to its readers. She no longer works with the Hindustan Times.

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