New Delhi: The brazen killing of gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed in Prayagraj, two days after his son Asad was killed in a police encounter in Jhansi, has put the police and criminals back in the spotlight. When the wheels of the criminal justice system turn too slowly, rogue cops often become the norm. They are a “jugaad” for the people in this country, said retired IPS officer Meeran Chadha Borwankar, former director general of the Bureau of Police Research and Development.
The movies glorify his violent legacy. People idealize his version of tough justice, and criminals fear him.
“You love them. Citizens, politicians, media and land grabbers love them. You have films about them,” she said. But also about rogue police encounters, deaths in custody and third-degree torture Are.
“They are a threat to criminal justice,” Borwankar said in a talk titled ‘Taking Rogue Cops’ at Delhi’s Press Club on Wednesday.
Yet, people justify the actions of such police personnel and mix aggression with bravery because they provide a quick fix. They promise retribution.
“There is a huge gap between crime and its trials and conviction. To make up for this gap, people have made rogue cops their jugaad.
The retired top cop holds society, media and politicians responsible for why he is worshipped.
Borwankar, who earned the nickname ‘Singham’ and was the first woman district police chief in Maharashtra, discussed why it is problematic when enforcers of justice act against India’s constitution.
A police officer need not take this route to inspire filmmakers. 2014 bollywood hits, manlyStarring Rani Mukerji, it was inspired by Borwankar. In the fantasy thriller, Shivani Shivaji Roy (Mukherjee), a senior inspector with the Mumbai Police Crime Branch, makes it her mission to bring down a child trafficking ring. The tough-talking but sympathetic cop was a hit among the audience and critics alike.
A cop doesn’t need to be a badass to win the hearts of citizens. “Some officers told me that they are not happy with this kind of police behavior [officers],” He added.
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‘Politicians neutralized’
The former top cop did not back down from alleged political interference in police work. There is always a danger of misuse of law enforcement agencies by politicians.
He said that counter intelligence is being used as political intelligence and due to political interference in the police department, the number of rogue cops has also increased.
“Neutralizing politicians is very important. Many officials say that wherever influential persons are involved in the investigation, there is a lot of political pressure.”
Former MLA and gangster Atiq Ahmed had a long list of criminal cases against him. Even then, there was only one conviction. Gangsters like Chhota Rajan and Dawood Ibrahim have many cases registered against them. Who sheltered them? Why weren’t they stopped? He accused politicians of interfering.
Borwankar condemned the killing of Atiq, who was shot dead in police custody along with his brother Ashraf. It was caught on camera and people expressed happiness over the extrajudicial killing.
“In principle, I would say [for] Shootout of a man who has only one case against him, I would not vote for it. But if he is a threat to my life, I have every right. I am not clear what exactly happened there,” said Borwankar, speaking very cautiously. “According to the Human Rights Commission, all encounters should be probed by a magistrate. So [if] In such a case, magisterial inquiry is not sufficient. [there] Needed [be] Demand for judicial inquiry.”
A few days before Atiq’s murder, the death of his son Asad Ahmed in a Special Task Force encounter in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh has also raised questions.
February of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath statementWhere he said that he would “bury these mafias in the dust”, made a lot of headlines in the media. Although Borwankar does not consider it wrong and also sees the logic behind it.
There is nothing wrong in the statement ‘I will bury the mafia in the ground’, as long as it is done through the Constitution and the law, he said.
Borwankar has a solution to deal with the problem of rogue cops. Arms drill and parade are not enough. A thorough knowledge of the Constitution and human rights should be included while training the police, and more women should be recruited into the police force.
(Edited by Zoya Bhatti)