'Officers will have to lead from front'

LUCKNOW: Containing incidents of communal tension and violence, particularly in western UP, will be my priority, said Jagmohan Yadav, soon after taking over as UP’s new director general of police here on Tuesday.
“There have been instances when minor incidents have gone on to become big embarrassment for the government merely because the cases were not handled properly right at the beginning,” said DGP Yadav.
“This was because of lack of leadership at the district police level. In cases of dereliction of duty, the responsibility will now have to be fixed on senior officers as well, who will have to lead the force or face action,” he said.
A 1983 batch IPS, Jagmohan Yadav was ADGP, CB-CID. He took charge from AK Jain, who retired as DGP on Tuesday after a three month extension.
He said his priority will also be to restore the authority and importance of the DGP’s office but refused to comment when asked if the authority of the chair was eroded during the tenure of his predecessors.
“It is for the media to decide or interpret the meaning of the statement. I have said what I had to say,” he said.
Talking of political intervention, Jagmohan said it was for the police to draw a line and not to succumb under any pressure to do what is wrong.
“There was a need to find reasons that have made the police defensive in cases of attacks on policemen. We will have to find out the reasons behind such incidents and take adequate steps,” he said.
He also emphasized the need for checking hooliganism as it has a direct impact on the common man and is seen as a blotch on the overall law and order situation in the state.
DGP Yadav was posted as ADG (law and order) in UP Police after Akhilesh Yadav government came to power in March 2012 but transferred later. Yadav, who is slated to retire on December 31 this year, has served as deputy inspector general (DIG) Lucknow, IG (STF) and DG Prisons.