Yellow slips make 'errant' Betul cops fall in line

BHOPAL: Cops is Betul district are dreading 'yellow slips' devised to make errant cops fall in line. District police administration, in a move to improve efficiency of cops at police station level have introduced yellow slips in which complaints of irregularities by cops that reach office of Betul, superintendent of police is registered and a copy is given to the complainant with an advice to produce it in the respective police station for action.
When complainants get back to police station with the yellow slips, cops have to register cases and act. Most complaints are about non-registering of cases and delay in action by cops.
"Every month during crime review meetings, concerning police station heads are required to report with these yellow slips and apprise senior officials in detail action taken by them," SP Betul Sudhir V Laad told TOI.
Aim of the slip is to ensure greater transparency "It is primarily meant to ensure that each and every complaint is entertained at the police stations," said Laad.
"Once it happened that a 70-year-old woman's complaint was not entertained by officials at a police station and she was returned with a note that her complaint comes under Section 155 of CrPc, i.e. a case where police intervention is not required. However, when the complaint came to my notice, I found it could be registered and directed for the same," he said.
Ever since, this practice has gained acceptability. We have observed that since September 2013 we started using yellow slips it has led to a fall in complaints, he said.
Besides, officials of the district who are prompt in taking action on complaints are also being rewarded, Laad said adding, "like in case of crime against women if an accused is arrested same day within hours of lodging of report then concerning police officials are given cash rewards with the approval of senior officials."