Police stations refuse to register complaints, say residents

PUNE: Ashok Patil, a middle aged industrial worker could not file his complaint about an cheating incident. His wife and mother were tricked by a youth, on the assurance of polishing the jewellery items.
Sushama Joshi, a busy house-wife could not get the copy of FIR from the police about the incident of a burglary at her bungalow. Pravinbhai Shah, a senior citizen failed to file a complaint of house-breaking as he could not able to submit the exact bills of the stolen property to the police.Radhabai Kamble an aged woman was refused by the police to register her complaint of looting, as the police station was not in the jurisdiction where the crime had occurred.
Such and many more incidents have already put a question mark over the transparency and credibility over the police functioning at police station level. Despite the legal bindings on the police and even the law has given certain rights to the citizen, there is no change in the situation. It is always been criticised that the police are always reluctant in registering FIR. The police are also been criticised by the citizens that the lesser complaints can please to their seniors.
In a view of creating confidence among the citizens, the former director-general of Maharashtra police Arvind Inamdar had initiated three years back about installing a written board on each police station about legal rights of the citizens while registering FIR. The plan had even get enforced in some of the police stations was, however, discontinued as Mr Inamdar left. The original idea was to implement it at all the 960 police stations in the state. However, an already installed boards from the police stations were found removed.
Interestingly, a retired superintendent of police and the former editor of police magazine "Dakshata", Mr V. K. Joshi had prepared an actual draft for the purpose. Informing to the TNN, Mr Joshi said that it was a surprise for me that there are many hurdles for a common man while communicating the police.
He had received an actual feedback from the citizens about the complaints on non-co-operative and hostile attitude by police at the station level while filing FIR.
"Some of the complaints are about converting the congnisible offences into non-cognisible" , he said. Referring the section 154 of the IPC, Mr Joshi said that nobody have a rights to make in change of the complaint filed by a citizen. The law have also specified that a true copy of the registered FIR should be immediately handover to the complainant concern.
Mr Joshi also observed that the some of the citizens don''t feel sure and secure about the secrete information passing to them. A fear and lack of confidence on the police machinery by the citizen can be stopped by sensitising the citizens on their legal rights. At the same time the police can also improve their image in a big way, he said.
Lamenting on the police behaviour to the women complaints, noted woman activist and president of Stree Adhar Kendra Dr Neelam Gorhe said that the Kolhapur police have arrested a the noted woman activist Rupa Shah at 10 pm. "No woman feels a police station as a place like her parent''s house", she pointed out.
Transfer of an investigating police station officer in a sex scandal was made at Satara when the case had reached up to the court for further hearing. Another police officer from Sholapur was re-instate on the same place when he was charged for using his arm against a woman police. "The action was justified when he was exonerated in the departmental inquiry", Ms Gorhe pointed out.
Such incidents had already questioned the validity of the police at the police station level, he said. The irrational transfers and growing level of political intervention had created an adverse effect even on the police, Ms Gorhe said. According to her the women vigilance committee establshied by Mr Inamdar are totally non-effective and existing on papers.
Meanwhile, the additional commissioner of the city police M S Maheshgauri agreed that installations of such boards were made in all police stations in Pune. These boards must have removed from the respective places as it must have got damaged, he said.
Legal rights of the citizens
* Any citizen can exercise his legal right of filing a cognisible or non-cognisible offence at police station.
* It is compulsory for the police to register and investigate the complaint by them.
* Reasons should be given by the police officials to the complainant regarding the closing down investigation on the non-cognisible offences
* It is compulsory for the police to provide a duplicate copy of the FIR to the complainant immediately. A signature from a complainant should be received by ensuring it as a correct complaint.
* Police have no right to change in the complaint registered by the citizens.
* Panchanama report should be loudly readout to the complainant.
* Women and children should not be called by the investigating police official on the police station or chowkey, but should visit to their respective residence for an inquiry.
* Progress in the investigation of a particular case should be given to a citizen if asked.