Date:06/01/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/01/06/stories/2007010601951201.htm

Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Police image

The Noida killings have shaken the nation's conscience and tarnished the police image. The police organisation needs urgent reforms. It is important to induce a change in the mindset of policemen to enable them to serve all citizens equally. One wonders how effective the special police team will be. The Uttar Pradesh police have already proved how unprofessional they are by their casual attitude to complaints of missing children in the initial stages.

Nisha Philip,
Chennai

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That reports of almost 40 missing children from a village couldn't shake police apathy is unbelievable. It is no exaggeration to say that but for the public outcry, nothing much would have changed. There is no doubt that the criminal justice system is weighted against the poor and disadvantaged.

A.R.K. Pillai,
Mumbai

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As usual, the suspended policemen will be reinstated after sometime and the curtain will fall forever on the gruesome episode.

N. Gopalan,
Bangalore

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It is unfortunate that the desperate pleas for help to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, the Governor, the Prime Minister, and the NCW from Nandlal, father of Payal, who went missing after going to the house of Moninder Singh Pandher ostensibly for an interview, yielded nothing. Had they taken cognisance of the matter, the police might have been more responsive to Nandlal. Constitutional authorities should ensure that all petitions received by them are sent to the authorities concerned for necessary action.

M.K.B. Nambiar,
Mahe

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It is sad to see that we live in a country where unless the electronic media take up a case, no justice is rendered to the poor and powerless. The administration should hang its head in shame for being so insensitive.

K.R.A. Narasiah,
Chennai

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Thanks to the media, at least now a special police team has been formed to probe the killings. One hopes there will be no political interference.

Abhinav Anand,
Gorakhpur, U.P.

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I request political parties to stop making Nithari a battlefield. They would do well to realise the gravity of the situation instead. The need of the hour is to train the police at all levels to ensure that such ghastly crimes do not proliferate in society.

Praveen Varshney,
Aligarh

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Our policemen are happy to serve politicians and VIPs. They can at best perform the duty of a watchman whose job is to chase the thieves away, not catch them.

S. Gopalkrishnan,
Thrissur