Do we need a Dabangg inspired Police force?
The number of posts on social media, especially on Facebook, against corrupt Police officers in the country is on the rise.
In a recent incident, a post made by Nirmal Kumar, a resident of Kodungallur municipality in Thrissur district of Kerala, went viral on Facebook.
The post against some corrupt, arrogant officers of the Kerala Police department starts with a disclaimer that says "Dear Friends, I am sharing a bad experience i had today from our beloved Kerala Police. I am writing it down just as it happened (I'm not that good in writing but am forced to put down my words here to get some support from all of you)." You can see the original posthere.
Policemen using a numberless patrol jeep allegedly misbehaved with Kumar accusing him of using his mobile phone while driving. When Kumar tried to prove his innocence by showing the call list, a Sub Inspector seized his phone and said "We need no proof. We saw you using your phone and that's enough." Kumar tried his best by telling them that his car has Bluetooth connectivity and he needn't use his mobile handset to attend a call while driving. Surprising response to this from the Policeman was "Bluetooth? There is no such thing called Bluetooth" and added that he has never heard of it. Drama intensified when Police asked to follow them to the Kodungallur Police station, which Kumar did.
Upon reaching the station Kumar was asked to pay a fine of INR 1000 by the Assistant Sub Inspector and was given a challan which says he was booked under Motor Vehicles Act 184 - driving dangerously. The Police station mentioned was apparently a 'Jana Maithri' station that comes under the Jana Maithri Project launched to promote community policing.
According to a Malayala Manorama report, the Director General of Police of Thrissur had sent out a circular instructing the Police to treat citizens with respect and condemning them from making any kind of hindrance to the traffic while conducting vehicle inspections. The said circular also instructs Police to address men as 'sir' or 'friend' and women as 'madam' or 'sister'. It is sad that Policemen not only neglect the instructions from their superior but also continue to show off their authority. Kerala Police officers have been in news many times before for their brash behavior. It is only sad if the Policemen who are supposed to protect the citizens turn into characters inspired from 'Chulbul Pandey's which directly boast about a cool factor of being corrupt.
The number of posts on social media, especially on Facebook, against corrupt Police officers in the country is on the rise. The following screen shot is from another such Facebook post made by a user to share his experience with Kerala Police. You can read the complete post by clicking on the photo.
However, the other side of the story reinstates faith in the Police department. The Facebook page of Kerala State Police Chief (with 51 thousand likes) responded to Nirmal Kumar on Facebook itself.
