The Hindu : 'Police officers in Gujarat should be held accountable'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, May 07, 2002

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'Police officers in Gujarat should be held accountable'

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI MAY 6. Police officers in Gujarat should be held accountable for both their acts of omission and commission, in allowing the violence since "the only reason they are there is to protect people in times like these'' and have "full legal and constitutional authority to do so''.

This was the conclusion of a discussion, involving former police officers and IAS officers, on `The Role of the Police in the Gujarat Violence', held at the Indian Women's Press Corps here.

Harsh Mander, who recently resigned from the Indian Administrative Service, drew attention to the fact that police and civil service officers were "fully empowered'' to act. And there was, in fact, "no provision in the law'' for consulting their political masters when it was a matter of maintaining law and order.

K. S. Subramnium, formerly Director General of police in Tripura said that the continuing violence in the State was indicative of a complete breakdown in administration.

The police in Gujarat were "one-sided'', and had become a servant of their political masters. The police investigation also suggested a disregard for justice. For instance, no proper forensic evidence had been collected, group FIRs are being filed making a nonsense of the law.

Mr. Subramanium, who is currently part of a people's tribunal, travelling around the State recording testimonies of victims, said that in the absence of any proper investigation this evidence was the only thing available.

Nikhil Kumar, former Commissioner of Police, New Delhi, said the police were "selectively efficient'' and if it decided that it wanted to control a situation it would not let it spread.

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