Mr Bhujbal, here’s priority No 1: Police reforms

In their first utterances after taking over as chief minister and deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, Ashok Chavan and Chhagan Bhujbal both talked about equipping the Mumbai police force with the latest hardware to tackle terror. Giving policemen the right arms and equipment is, of course, necessary, but it’s not the main reason why they gave such a poor account of themselves on 26/11.

Let’s face it. Mumbai’s policemen are in no condition to take on terror or anything approaching it in their current state of low morale. The force, once the pride of Mumbai and India, is a pale shadow of its former self. Riven by corruption and used by cynical politicians for their own ends, the force is in no shape to protect civilians. It has
lost its credibility, independence and moorings.

There is only one way to change things, and that is systemic reform. We all know what’s the main thing that has to be done: insulate the police force from excessive political interference. The Supreme Court has issued half a dozen directives to all states and the centre. Barring four small states —Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Meghalaya and Himachal Pradesh — the rest have barely done anything. And Maharashtra is one of the delinquents.

DNA will campaign for these changes to be implemented through its news and editorial columns from now on. The directives were issued by the Supreme Court in a PIL filed by a senior IPS officer who retired as director-general of the Border Security Force. While he moved the apex court in 1996, the final directive came only in 2006.

Following are the major directives on implementing the recommendations of the National Police Commission:

1The first directive is that each state should set up a State Security Commission to insulate the police force from unwarranted political pressure. The commission is, among other things, expected to evolve policy and set norms for evaluating the performance of policemen. Maharashtra hasn’t moved a finger to comply with the directive. Mr Bhujbal, it’s time your ministry read through the Ribeiro and Sorabjee committee reports on police reform and started drafting a legislation for the same.

2The court also said any state director-general of police (DGP) should have a minimum tenure of two years. He should be chosen from among the three senior-most officers in the force. The Vilasrao Deshmukh administration violated that requirement when it appointed AN Roy as DGP where there were three officers senior to him at the time of his appointment. Mr Bhujbal, you have to remedy this immediately.

3The SC said the minimum tenure of DIGs, SSPs, SPs, deputy SPs and SHOs (state house officers) must be two years. Mr Bhujbal, you must ensure this is complied with in letter and spirit since your average police officer in Nanded is not going to court to fight for his rights.

4The fourth important directive of the court was the separation of the investigating wing from the law and order section to ensure speedier investigations, better expertise and improved rapport with the people. Mr Bhujbal, you know very well how shoddy our police investigations have been in most blast and terror cases. It is time to act on this court directive and empower the investigation teams with better equipment, better funding and good leadership.

5The apex court also ordered the setting up of a Police Establishment Board (PEB) in each state. PEBs have to decide on all transfers, postings, promotions and other service-related matters of officers of and below the rank of deputy superintendent of police. Mr Bhujbal, we know that in recent years many home ministers have meddled in even lower level postings under pressure from party functionaries and other powerful people. We hope you realise the damage this is causing to police morale and set up the board a-s-a-p.

6The court wanted all states to set up a Police Complaints Authority (PCA) at the district level headed by a retired district judge to look into complaints against police officers of and up to the rank of DSP. Similarly, a PCA at the state level should be headed by a retired Supreme Court or high court judge.

Sadly, barring four very small states, none of them - Maharashtra included - has moved a finger to implement these directives of the highest court of the land. Mr Bhujbal, if you are truly the man of action everyone says you are, these six police reforms brook no delay.