LAW MAKER OR LAW BREAKER?
Present day policemen are different from what they were before. Nowadays cops take laws in their hands. This is no vague accusation. The State Human Right Commission (SHRC) has come down heavily on the men in khaki.
According to SHRC, police are the biggest violators of human rights as 90 percent of the cases referred to it for redressal are the high-handedness of the Tamil Nadu police force. Speaking on the occasion of the Human Rights day celebrations held in 2011, Mr. Justice D. Murugesan of the Madras High Court accused the state police force functioning under the CM’s direct command.
Not saying a word of denial about this alarming lapse, the chief of state police force said that it was an inherited attitude and nature of job and that either the law must be tougher or the cops. Recalling an incident, he said that he once nabbed a man who had stolen platinum worth over Rupees 4.5 lakhs for his sister’s marriage. And he was the first-time offender.
The police chief did not send him to jail, for he knew, the jail sentence would convert him into a hard core criminal. Instead, he recommended for an amnesty and the court of law condoned the first time offender under, “Probation of Offender’s act,” who later became a college professor!
Quoting the basic importance of providing hospital treatment for prisoners, it was opined that, “Patients have the right to say that he/she requires medical aid.”
So, why not to the innocents taken on grounds of suspicion? The Justice further said, “Just one instant of crime is not enough to detain someone. The police have this mind-set where a onetime offence is enough to detain somebody to prevent further crimes.”
Will the state police follow the guidelines given by SHRC? It is alarming that there occur some custodial deaths and other atrocities, like beating and affecting the modesty of the women. “Friend of the police” must be given a face-lift, and it should be checked by the higher ups by making surprise visits to every station houses/ police stations.