Political will to implement police reforms lacking: Babu

None of the state governments has fully implemented the Supreme Court directives on police reforms, outgoing chairperson of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) S Rajendra Babu has said blaming "lack of political will" for it.

None of the state governments has fully implemented the Supreme Court directives on police reforms, outgoing chairperson of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) S Rajendra Babu has said blaming "lack of political will" for it.

Criticising the functioning of police and the tendency of politicians to influence them, the former Chief Justice of India said the NHRC had moved Supreme Court for police reforms to check such practices.

"The Supreme Court disposed of the matter giving a number of directions as to how it can be done, how investigations can be divorced from the state authorities, how it will be an independent authority...," Babu, who is demitting office today, told PTI.

But, none of the state governments has so far fully implemented the directives of the Supreme Court on the police reforms, he said adding, "There is no political will to implement it".

Coming down heavily on the functioning of police personnel, especially in the junior ranks, he said, "There is no culture at all in them (police). They don't think what they are doing is public service....They have got political patronage. That is how they thrive."

The Commission had received more complaints of rights violation against police than against mafias and underworld elements.

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