Himachal Pradesh’s blot on khaki

FOUR months after an IG and seven other policemen were sentenced to life imprisonment in the Kotkhai custodial death case, Himachal cops are again in the news for the wrong reasons. The state government has sent the DGP and the Shimla SP, besides the Additional Chief Secretary (Home), on leave; they have been accused of indiscipline with regard to the Vimal Negi death case. Negi, a chief engineer of the Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited, was found dead days after he went missing in March. The case has triggered a storm within the state police force, with the SP and the DGP levelling allegations at each other. The political stakes have also gone up — the BJP has turned the heat on the Congress government, accusing it of a cover-up.

Even as the CBI has taken over the probe, the image of the Himachal Police has been severely dented. Cops at all levels are duty-bound to work as a team, not at cross purposes. The row over the Special Investigation Team’s (SIT) report shows that the pursuit of truth and justice has been jeopardised. It was the DGP himself who submitted a status report in the Himachal Pradesh High Court, questioning the impartiality of the SIT probe in the Negi case. The unsavoury tussle has disillusioned the public, which expects police personnel to be fair and transparent in discharging their duties. The reputation of the state government is also on the line; it should ensure that a thorough inquiry is conducted to nail the erring cops, even if they are high-ranked.

Be it indiscipline, corruption or custodial excesses, a zero-tolerance policy is a must to clean up the police mess. In neighbouring Punjab, the Fazilka SSP has been suspended after four police officers were arrested in a bribery case. Notably, action was taken after the complainant approached the CM with evidence. Such confidence-building measures should lead to exemplary punishment so that the law enforcers desist from becoming a law unto themselves.

Editorials