Be polite to people, get tough with criminals: CM

By Suresh Nambath

CHENNAI, AUG. 2. Calling for a balanced approach to human rights while dealing with hardened criminals, the Chief Minister, Ms. Jayalalithaa, today underscored the importance of striking a compromise between protection of the individual against abuse by law-enforcing officers and effective prosecution of crime.

Addressing the conference of police officers at the Secretariat here, Ms. Jayalalithaa said the law did not permit the use of third degree methods or torture of the accused in custody during interrogation and investigation. ``The end cannot justify the means''.

While pointing out that the police had a legitimate right to arrest a criminal and interrogate him during the investigation of an offence, she said third degree methods should not be adopted with a view to solving the crime.

``No doubt, in case of too much emphasis on protection of fundamental rights of hardened criminals, such criminals may go scot-free. Therefore to deal with such a situation, a balanced approach is needed,'' she said.

``A two-pronged approach seems unavoidable with the police being courteous to the people and solving their problems, on the one hand, and being tough and firm with the law-breaker and the criminal, on the other''.

Citing custodial violence as a major issue which had come to the fore in recent times, Ms. Jayalalithaa said torture and death in lock-ups struck a blow at the rule of law. ``Custodial violence is a matter of concern, particularly if it is by persons who are supposed to be the protectors of the citizens''.

The Government planned to streamline the recruitment process by providing for common recruitment for police, prison and fire service personnel. It would endeavour to reduce the scope for malpractices in recruitment by increasing the weightage for the written test and reducing the weightage for the physical efficiency test and viva voce.

The attitude and performance of the police force depended to a large extent on proper recruitment and training. ``Unfortunately, a number of complaints have been received in regard to the recruitment in recent years of the constabulary, notwithstanding the existence of a Uniformed Services Board. Improper management of manpower, faith in display of force and visibility to control law and order situations have led to a lathi-wielding force,'' she said.

A programme would commence shortly in the police training college to sensitise 4,200 members of women police personnel in batches. The other personnel would undergo a sensitisation course under the aegis of the regular Superintendents of Police in the districts. The faculty and the syllabus were being reviewed to make the training really useful.

Proposals under the Centrally-sponsored scheme for modernisation of the police force on a fifty-fifty sharing basis had been sent for 2001-02 for a total cost of Rs.210 crores. The Director- General of Police had formulated proposals for transforming the State police into a professional force. These included police training, formation of dog squads, computerisation, training in combating cyber crimes, improvement in crime investigation facilities and standards and training of commando force and providing essential equipment.

While the ``negative part'' of the police duties could not be reduced or diluted, some positive duties needed to be performed so as to make the role of the police in society more service- oriented and acceptable. ``The use of excessive force should be avoided. No person likes being subjected to even legitimate and justified force,'' she said.

Normally, if the grievances of the people are redressed, there might not be any need for using force and agitations and law and order situations could be prevented.

In his introductory remarks, the Home Secretary, Mr. Naresh Gupta, stressed the importance of the ``human factor'' in police functioning. There had been a degeneration in the force over a period of time which needed to be corrected, he said.

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