DNA Edit: Playing truant

The lumpen elements in Patna must be having a field day. The men-in-uniform entrusted with keeping law-and-order in the state capital do not seem to be interested in carrying out their job. With 200 policemen missing from work for at least a year — their whereabouts still unknown to the administration — and another 300 merely whiling away time, a depleted force, even with the best intentions, can achieve little in ensuring safety and security of the people.

While authorities looked the other way, some 50 cops were found to be serving VIPs who had no threat to their lives. DIG Rajesh Kumar’s surprise visit to the Police Lines on Thursday laid bare a deeply flawed system that has done away with accountability even when there are such brazen instances of dereliction of duty.

Currently, the district police force faces a scarcity of nearly 2,000 constables, prompting Kumar to say that this is a luxury the Patna police cannot afford. More than a decade ago, Lalu Yadav’s reign in the state was ridiculed as “goonda raj”. His successor Nitish Kumar had tried to put things in order, restoring people’s faith in governance. But recent revelations point to a remarkable slide even when Nitish is in control.

More importantly, the top brass of the force appears to be either indifferent to the situation or too busy serving political masters for plum postings. Rajesh Kumar’s response to the sordid affair has been typical. Suspending a constable and a sub-inspector working on the Police Lines will hardly produce any results. After the furore, things will be back to where they were. A stringent system that holds superiors accountable for the actions of the juniors might clean up the system. Also, suspension of the missing police personnel should be backed with fresh recruitments.