Police trap victims

Even though the policemen have denied taking any bribe from detainees, the impression remains that innocents were implicated in criminal offences -- just to be trapped, held up and squeezed some money from. Most of them allegedly managed to get out of jail by meeting the demand for bribe; but one of the victims whose family refused to pay was detained for a longer time. He was eventually set free on payment of money. In fact it's been quite apparent that whenever any robbery or crime takes place, cops tend to detain people indiscriminately who in the end would have no choice but to wriggle out of captivity by greasing palms. Such misdeeds earn bad name not just for the police force but also for the government, because police are the public face of the administration.

It is the abuse of power for personal gains that has made them lose out on public goodwill and cooperation without which they cannot think of working effectively. It is not by accident perhaps that their targets are underprivileged low income groups who are ill-connected to have any words of influence put in for their release. We have heard of projects undertaken with donor assistance to motivate the police force against abuse of power and violation of human rights. After the Pallabi incidents, a stocktaking of those initiatives have become extremely necessary. When will the wayward among the police force realise that their duty is towards protecting the public, not exploiting them.

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