No Diwali gifts to seniors please: Diktat for Delhi Police officers

in a bid to protect favouritism from affecting the professionalism of the force, Delhi Police has issued instructions to all station house officers against exchanging any gifts, especially ‘expensive’ ones, with their seniors this festive weekend.

The Delhi Police’s Diwali present this festive season is a gift-wrapped lesson in social etiquette.

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Sources said the vigilance department of Delhi Police — in a bid to protect favouritism from affecting the professionalism of the force — has issued instructions to all station house officers against exchanging any gifts, especially ‘expensive’ ones, with their seniors this festive weekend.

“Police personnel across ranks are infamous for courtesy calls they make to senior officers on occasions such as Diwali, leaving the areas in their jurisdiction at the mercy of subordinates,” said a senior police officer.

According to officers, police personnel have been known to offer everything — from mobile phones to brand new cars to their seniors — apparently for the sake of ‘pleasing’ them for a variety of reasons.

The reasons are varied and can range from plum transfer postings to ‘favourable’ Annual Confidential Reports to subtle requests to go easy on them during departmental enquiries.

“Once word of these visits spreads, a mad rush is usually triggered among other personnel not only to do the same, but also to offer relatively ‘better’ and usually more expensive gifts to their own seniors for the sake of scoring brownie points.”

Sources said, the vigilance department will keep an eye on inputs about such visits and initiate enquiries on the basis of such inputs.