Policemen falling prey to angry city

The latest attack on a police personnel — the second this month, and the year— proves that those who are supposed to enforce the law need protection themselves. Karn Pratap Singh reports.

The latest attack on a police personnel — the second this month, and the year— proves that those who are supposed to enforce the law need protection themselves.

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On Monday, constable Riyaz Hussain, who had been posted at New Delhi Railway Station, was on duty when he was beaten to death for stopping a catering manager of the northern railways from crossing railway tracks.

The incident has once again highlighted the changing trend of lawlessness in the city. Ten such cases of attacks on policemen were reported in 2011. In most of the cases, the men in khaki had been on duty when they were targetted by the common man.

Statistics reveal that policemen had been attacked for doing their job almost every week in January last year.

But the most gruesome of the attacks last year was the murder of head constable Kailash Chander in Dwarka. Chander had been stabbed as many as 27 times all over his body by a gang of four petty criminals. His body was discovered in a pool of blood in a park on May 5.

Confidence on the power of his uniform and a holstered weapon had been Chander’s only mistakes, which proved costly for him. He paid with his life for trying to prevent criminals from drinking in the park.

Then came the brutal murder of constable Tanvir in September at his rented accommodation in west Delhi’s Ranhola.

The merciless assault of an SHO by a group of lawyers at the Rohini court in September was another case in point.

Meanwhile, incidents ranging from deliberate acts of aggression on city streets to even abduction bids in which police officers were victimised were reported across the city last year.

At least four policemen were killed, 20 injured, five police vehicles torched and 50 cases of rioting were registered.