It’s good to be bad!

“Ever since Amitabh Thakur exposed Mulayam Singh, leaders from political parties have come to say that it is “illegal” for government officers to expose the government! Perhaps they are trying to say that it is legal for political parties to indulge in illegal sand mining, illegal land deals and above all slap rape charges on an upright officer! 

An FIR is registered against IPS officer under rape charges in Lucknow just a day after he filed a complaint with the police against leader of the ruling Samajwadi party Mulayam Singh Yadav, alleging that the father of the Chief Minister threatened him with dire consequences if he does not mend his ways. “I consider this as return gift from Mulayam Singh Yadav as I dared to make his threats public,” said Inspector General Amitabh Thakur on the FIR registered against him. What else could a cornered Inspector General of Police say? He has been rewarded for having recorded the dying declaration of the journalist who was burnt for having exposed the misdeeds of the mining minister of state, and having tried to pursue the case despite strong resistance from the embarrassed ruling party. Another incident- A scooterist gets killed in an accident near Ropar in Punjab and the onlookers allege that he was hit by a bus owned by the ruling Badal family. However, four days later the police gathers witnesses from the alleged bus to say that the scooterist was killed between a car and the scooter, where as the bus alleged to be involved in the accident does bear the scars of the accident as unearthed by few media houses operating from Chandigarh. Certainly it is safer and rewarding for the cops to defend the ruling party!

Another bizarre incident at Mohali where a poor Chintu Singh was thrashed by Constable of Punjab Police, after the petty soup maker on a rehri (portable shop) refused bribe. In order to save himself from the brutal attack he ran got hit and was runover by a truck. The cops have concocted another story that puts the onus of the dead on the truck driver. Another case where cops have worked as pawns to the ruling

killing and attacking people linked to controversial cases is another area of concern and could be termed as the flavour of the season. Even as the list of mysterious deaths of people linked to the test-rigging Vyapam scam gets longer, witnesses connected to alleged rape cases against self-proclaimed Godman Asaram Bapu also find themselves under attack.

Recent outrages and false representations have highlighted the prevailing rot in the system of controlling the police by the ruling political parties. The acquittals of the well heeled accused in the Jessica Lall case, spectacular release of Salman Khan show beyond doubt that the investigating agencies can be modelled to suit the accused and create options for their easy release. With every incident that can affect the ruling party, the leader of the ruling party come out with statements that suit them and then comes an indirect directive to the investing agencies to follow the line and subvert the investigations. Interestingly Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has not denied that a conversation did take place between his father Mulayam and Amitabh Thakur. Replying to media queries what Akhilesh said goes to show how these political leaders consider each and everyone as their pawns, “Mulayam Singh Yadav can scold the chief minister, there is nothing wrong in him scolding an official.” He saw “nothing wrong” in his father talking to the officer. Amitabh Thakur and Nutan have been alleging that the threat by Mulayam came after Nutan had filed a complaint before the Uttar Pradesh Lokayukta against minister Prajapati.

Amitabh Thakur’s case is not new. Ashok Khemka is a senior Indian Administrative Service officer in Haryana and best known for cancelling the mutation of Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra’s illegal land deal in Gurgaon-has a dubious distinction of getting transferred 47 times in his 25 years of service. Durga Shakti Nagpal civil servant and officer in Uttar Pradesh was suspended on flimsy grounds for exposing sand mafia.

The cases cited above only go to sustain the view that accountability, transparency and human rights are alien to the system, and the human right are the sole right of the people in power, the police force has an obligation to stand at the beck and call of the powerful few. Ever since Amitabh Thakur exposed Mulayam Singh, leaders from political parties have come to say that it is “illegal” for government officers to expose the government! Perhaps they are trying to say that it is legal for political parties to indulge in illegal sand mining, illegal land deals and above all slap rape charges on an upright officer!

These cases make it imperative that police reforms are addressed. With pressing issues of functional autonomy, insulation from illegitimate political interference, prevention of abuse of human rights, complete transparency and accountability as well as an unshakable commitment to the rule of law being the key issues.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Why this diseased system continues unaddressed is a subject of concern. Perhaps the people in power have become too habitual to misusing the power that they don’t consider such acts unjustified. Police on the other hand doesn’t move an inch until directed by their political bosses. The poor have none to register their complaints and the powerful can use all the paraphernalia to their advantage.

The desired change won’t happen as those required to bring in the change are least interested, as curbing any such power would amount to cutting the wind beneath their wings. Till then the likes of Amitabh Thakur, Ashok Khemka,Durga Shakti Nagpal can ……………………………………………………..