CP comes down heavily on Sitabuldi cops for faltering on SOP

Nagpur: City police chief SPYadav minced no words while criticizing the personnel from Sitabuldi police for failing to follow the standard operation procedure (SOP) during the custodial death episode last week. Yadav said that instructions have now been issued afresh to ensure that they are strictly followed to avoid such serious lapses.
The state CID has already initiated a probe into the suicide of Rakesh Mendhe who had ended his life at the Sitabuldi police station on June 4 after being rounded up by the cops from a private hospital at Ramdaspeth.He was nabbed red-handed by the security guard of the hospital trying to decamp with belongings of one of the patients.
Mendhe, who has two offences against him, was also manhandled by the public before being handed over to the police. It was during the process of registering offence that Mendhe hanged himself with his shirt from the window grill of the bathroom.
Yadav was upset the manner in which the police station personnel had handled the situation after they were alerted by the hospital staffers about the theft bid at their premises. “The suspect should have been taken for medical examination first before retaining him at the police station. In such cases, where the concerned person is found in an inebriated condition or thrashed by public and under such abnormal circumstances should be first sent for medical examination at government hospital without fail,” said CP.
Yadav further said the cops at the police station should not think twice before putting someone in the lock up if there was enough reason for him or her to get arrested. “One can be allowed to remain outside the lock-up when the purpose is simply to record statement or such preliminary inquiry but the same cannot be said for the situation which warrants stricter actions,” he said.
The top cop also expressed surprised the manner in which Mendhe was repeatedly allowed to visit the loo. “The suspect went to the bathroom thrice without anyone taking any note of it. There have been some glaring aberrations on the part of police,” said the top.
He said such SOP are nothing new in the department but has been repeatedly sent from offices of State Director General of police and CP.
Yadav also said that a proposal of installing CCTV cameras at police stations and other offices of different units are pending at the State DGP office. “In many of the police stations, the CCTV cameras are installed with private initiatives. CCTV cameras are non-functional at many police stations,” he said.
The top cop had ensured that CCTV cameras were made operational since January this year.