In trouble? Don't bank on cops

PANCHKULA: God forbid, if you find yourself at a crime scene or an accident spot, don't feel relieved on seeing a man in uniform. In Panchkula, cops don't act unless the complainant or victim registers himself by dialling 100. But to make things worse, the number is hard to reach and calls are often connected to control rooms of nearby cities. As many as eight such cases have been reported in the past few months when cops present near the accident or kidnapping spot, but refused to act till someone calls up the control room.
On April 12, a car carrying six youth fell into a gorge near Morni, but even after reaching the spot, police asked the eye-witnesses to call up 100 first. "A police officer reached the spot and told us that divers have to be called and assistance would be provided only after someone dials 100 and say that an accident has taken place here," said Ramesh Ojha, an eyewitness with whose help four youths were taken out. In another case, Vivek Bhardwaj, a resident of Sector 8, alleged, "The gold chain of my wife was snatched by two youths. She was screaming and a PCR on patrol reached there and we told them that youths would not have gone far. But the cops asked us to first dial 100 so that investigations could begin." He further added, "I dialled the number and it got connected with Yamunanagar police control room. Why do the cops need us to inform the control room first? Why can't they act when they are present right there on the spot?"
In a recent hit-and-run case on the sectors 6 and 7 dividing road, an old man kept on lying on the road for about 45 minutes and the cop who came from the Sector 5 police station said they need to call at 100 first. "I kept on dialling the number, but could get through. Cops don't really care, even if someone is dying they won't act and take the injured to hospital until 100 is dialled," said Aryan Luthra whose father met with an accident recently. He further added, "This is nothing but just their way to wash hands off their responsibility."