‘Police have lost confidence’

Julio Ribeiro

There have been three excesses involving the police in the last 10 days. Police inaction was seen when Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers attacked North Indian taxi drivers.

Then a traffic constable pushed a biker who suffered severe head injuries and died thereafter. The third instance was in Tarsa on Friday, where a local Congress leader was killed by rival party workers.

These incidents show that the police officers and the force have lost confidence in themselves.

Due to increasing judicial proceedings that have docked many police officials, the police are scared of what will happen to them if they take strong action. The fear is not limited to the actions of the court, but extends to even political repercussions.

The Maharashtra and Mumbai police were once a force that was the country’s pride. They have become weak due to increasing politicisation.

Politicians have been interfering far too much over the last two decades. They have interfered in all decisions of policing, and this has made the police inactive.

The wrong officers are posted in important places and the effective ones are troubled. As a result, we do not see good policing any more. This has also led to corruption in the police force.

We need to see more effective policing for the protection of our people.

— Rebeiro is the former Mumbai Police Commissioner.
He spoke to Neeta Kolhatkar