E-Paper
Cops? preventive exercise: Poor at the receiving end
MANY PEOPLE, mostly poor workers, are falling victim to the UT Police?s highhandedness, as they are arresting an increasing number of men with ?suspicious? characters each day as a ?preventive measure? to check crime rate. Subodh Kumar of Balongi was returning home on May 17 night after attending a family get-together when an overzealous UT Police arrested him near Kajheri village. ?It was a horrible experience for Subodh, who never did anything unlawful. He has only bitterness for the police now,? one of his relatives told HT.
MANY PEOPLE, mostly poor workers, are falling victim to the UT Police’s highhandedness, as they are arresting an increasing number of men with “suspicious” characters each day as a “preventive measure” to check crime rate.
Subodh Kumar of Balongi was returning home on May 17 night after attending a family get-together when an overzealous UT Police arrested him near Kajheri village. “It was a horrible experience for Subodh, who never did anything unlawful. He has only bitterness for the police now,” one of his relatives told HT.
A few days ago, the UT Police had arrested several waiters who were returning home after serving at a function at Hotel Mountview. Such instances are only increasing as each night the police fan out across the city with instructions from their superiors to arrest as many people as possible.
The police drive actually aims to arrest only those with suspicious characters. It is supposed to be done as a preventive exercise to check the rising trend of petty crimes, particularly snatchings. However, the rattled police are finding easy prey in the unresisting poor people. “It is a case of injustice. But we can’t help it. If I do not arrest adequate number of people, my superiors will pull me up,” an SHO admitted before HT. SSP Gaurav Yadav says the drive is for public good and “results” are also showing, but admits that such arrest can’t be condoned. He adds that the circumstances under which these persons were arrested could be different from what they claim later.
To be fair to the police, the crime rate, especially that of snatching and even auto-lifting, has come down of late. But is it a justifiable excuse to put innocents behind bars along with real suspects? Section 109 of the CrPC says the police can arrest somebody taking precaution to hide presence and that there is reason to believe that the person is doing so with a view to commit cognisable offence. The police have apparently given it a goby on the ground.
Catching innocent is crime, says IG
IG SATISH Chandra said it was not “desirable” to nab the innocents and the officials doing the same were committing a crime. “The instruction is to catch those involved in crimes,” he told HT.
