All for consolidating a cohesive ecosystem of law and order

VOICES THAT MATTER

Reduction of the level of pendency of cases and improving the rate of conviction are some priority areas of the Assam Police. The numbers of investigating officers are being augmented by filling the vacancies while regular coordination is being maintained with other pillars of the criminal justice system like Prosecution, Judiciary, Health Department, Transport Department and Forensic Science Labs. 

Please lend a macro perspective on the law and order situation in the state. What are some of the blackholes/challenges in terms of administering law and order in the state?

Maintaining law and order is the primary responsibility of any police force. Assam Police has proven its mettle in this over its glorious history. In the contemporary context, under the guidance of Honourable CM Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, Assam Police has tackled the law and order situation in the state in a professional manner. When compared to the rest of the country, Assam Police's response to the Anti-CAA protest has been utterly professional. Law and order situations generally have trigger points. Eviction, road accidents, serious crimes especially against women and children are some of them. Proactive measures aided with forward intelligence have enabled Assam Police to handle such situations efficiently. As is the ethos of Assam Police, while maintaining law and order, it ensures that the democratic rights of people to peacefully protest is not squandered. In fact, in order to safeguard this constitutional right while preserving law and order, Assam Government has demarcated special zones across the state where such protests can be organised without trampling upon the rights of the common public who may not be involved in such protest.

Sustained operations against underground outfits have resulted in elimination/arrest of large numbers of hardcore militants and recovery of huge cache of arms and ammunition. A large number of cadres have surrendered with arms and ammunition thanks to government policies of welcoming those cadres who shun the path of violence to join the mainstream. We are perhaps witnessing the best time ever in Assam in the last few decades where more and more youth are getting disillusioned and joining the mainstream. The recent withdrawal of AFSPA by the Government of India from many districts of Assam is a testament to this fact.

Police faces certain challenges in handling law and order situations. Police has nothing to do with the genesis of law-and-order situations in most of the cases but the onus of facing and handling such situations falls on its shoulders. In many cases, lack of responsible conduct on part of leaders of agitating groups results in deterioration of the situation. The role played by political functionaries, religious leaders and media also impacts the law-and-order situation. Different ethnic, linguistic, religious and cultural groups coexist in Assam and it has witnessed many ethnic and communal clashes in the past. These factors also add to the complexity of the situation.

Can you please elaborate on the key initiatives that you have undertaken/spearheaded in relation to improving law and order of the state? Going forward, what are some of the key measures/initiatives that you envisage that will strengthen the law and order framework?

In order to promote and maintain the law and order situation in the state, the Government of Assam under the dynamic leadership of the Chief Minister has thrown its full weight behind the fruition of longstanding reforms in the force. Assam Police has also initiated a slew of initiatives which are fully backed by the state government. From ensuring better mobility of thana level forces by providing them with new vehicles, to better communication technologies, to giving impetus to develop specialisations within the force by raising task specific battalions, five of which are being raised as we speak, to equipping the special unit being raised in lines of Rapid Action Force with cutting edge equipment and training, the list is long. However, one of the most important aspects in this case is working on the mindset of the force and providing them the best possible mental framework to operate under rather trying circumstances. The CM's initiative of ensuring proper leave management and his vision of separating law and order responsibilities from investigation will go a long way in this. Another important initiative is the soft-skill training being imparted to the force. We have had testimonies of hundreds of our boys and girls from the force who feel more empowered mentally to deal with the demands of such a high pressure job where one mistake could lead to a life or death situation for many of our citizens. Many law and order situations do not crop up or are handled quickly if people trust the Police Force and see it as their friend. In other words, while hardware updates are important and are being taken care of, the difference between a professional force and that of an ineffective one is the software and I am a strong believer in this.

Another crucial aspect is the manpower requirement. Vacancies that have been piling up for a long time are being filled on a war footing basis. So far the State Police Recruitment Board under my chairmanship has recruited nearly 9,000 Constables and 580 Sub-Inspectors whereas the process of recruitment of another 5,000 personnel is in full swing. Intelligence collection machinery also has been geared up. However, the most fulfilling aspect of these new recruitment initiatives is the fact that all these recruitment activities have been totally transparent so far. This has happened not by chance but because of almost a religious zeal of our officers who oversee the recruitment process to ensure that it is conducted in a fair and just manner.

In recent times, there has been a surge of petty crimes. Your views on why this is happening and how it can be curbed?

While there may be a perception of surge in crimes in certain sections of the society, the crime data of the state indicates otherwise. The total number of cases registered in police stations of Assam, whether heinous or non-heinous, has come down in recent times. The average crime rate per lakh of population which stood at 384 during last year has come down to 222 this year. Average monthly registration of cases is 6,247 in this year as against 11,103 cases during the last year. Our strategy of handling heinous or non heinous offences is similar. All crime is to be taken seriously by police. Impact of even such offences which are not considered heinous may be traumatizing on the victim.

Mob lynchings too have become a heinous reality of our state in recent years. What measures are you taking to prevent such heinous occurrences in the public sphere?

The incidents of mob lynching have also come down significantly in the state due to firm action by police. Lack of tolerance by citizens/communities, hate speech by vested elements, divisive approach, rumour mongering and misuse of social media for propagating hate and superstitions are some of the prime reasons behind incidents of mob lynching. Assam Police has taken a number of steps to prevent and combat incidents of mob lynching. The Supreme Court has issued guidelines in case of mob lynching. Such guidelines in the form of preventive, remedial and punitive measures are being complied by Assam Police in words and spirit. Assam Police Cyberdome is keeping a close tab on various social media platforms. Action is initiated whenever provocative posts come to light which has tendency to spread hate and incite people towards violence. Firm and decisive action have been taken against perpetrators and investigations have been completed in a professional and time bound manner. Steps have also been taken for fast tracking of trial and protection of witnesses. The investigation was completed in 21 days by Police whereas one accused person was sentenced to death and 24 others with life imprisonment by the trial court in the case of mob lynching of Doctor Deben Dutta of Teok Tea Estate in Jorhat District. Similarly, the investigation into the case of mob lynching of Animesh Bhuyan in Jorhat has been completed within 50 days.

Assam Police has taken commendable steps in terms of busting the nexus of drug dealers. Our readers will like to know the causes that have actually directly and indirectly culminated in the proliferated menace of drug trafficking in our state. What are some of the long-term measures that you envisage putting in place that will eventually stem out of this menace?

The geostrategic significance of Assam cannot be overstated. While North East India is deemed as India's gateway to South-East Asia, Assam is the portal to North East. The historic and cultural ties with South-East Asia are only now being explored for its trade potential by India. However, this ancient Silk Route has been consistently exploited by the narco cartels operating in the Golden Triangle which is the second largest producer of opium in the world.

Moreover, opium and Ganja (Cannabis) crops are also cultivated in parts of some neighbouring states of the North East. Presence of extensive road and railway network in Assam provide opportunities to the traffickers for sending consignment from source areas through the state to rest of India and beyond. Moreover, some organised criminal gangs and surrendered or active militant outfits either provide patronage or associate themselves in narco trafficking in parts of North East.

The Assam Police has launched an all-out crack down on drug trafficking and the outcome has been unprecedented. In fact, the Assam Model of War Against Drugs has been lauded by the NCB publicly and other states have been encouraged to follow our footsteps.

Effective coordination with source states is being maintained by us for more impact. Assam Police is working in close tandem with other agencies like NCB, DRI and Customs. Our focus is also on time bound quality investigation, improving conviction rate and capacity building of investigators through training and developing resource material. Creation of State Narcotic Bureau is under consideration by the government which is envisaged as the nodal agency for the anti-drug activities at the state level.

The traffickers are changing modus operandi and are innovating in order to prevent detection by the police and other law enforcement agencies. Collection of intelligence on route of trafficking, its modus operandi, payment trail for purchase of drug, identity of the traffickers, etc. assumes critical importance in this backdrop. We are also planning for inducting adequate number narcotic sniffer dogs, fixed / mobile narcotic scanner and other state of the art gadgets in the police force as force multipliers. Awareness is very effective preventive tool and we are utilizing all available channels including social media for spreading awareness among people particularly youth on various aspects of drug trafficking. A critical aspect of this War Against Drugs is an effective rollover of our fight to the neighbouring states of North East as well as tackling it in neighouring countries i.e. Myanmar. In this regard, the Union Government has promised its full cooperation and support to us.

Which are some of the most crime prone places/districts of the state? Do you have specific strategies to deal with crime in these places?

There is no straight answer for this question. Crime prone areas vary from crime to crime. For example, more cybercrime takes place in urban area whereas cases of theft of cattle are predominantly in rural area. The total number of cases registered in Police Stations is a better indicator for this purpose. Some districts like Kamrup (M), Dhubri, Barpeta, Cachar and Nagaon register high number of cases in the state. We have specific strategies for dealing with crime which includes collection of intelligence on criminals and crime; awareness generation among masses particularly vulnerable sections; surveillance on suspects particularly in crime prone areas and crime mapping. In cases of commission of crime, our focus is on prompt and truthful registration of cases followed by timely and proper investigation.

The process of separation of law and order from investigation (a major step towards more effectives) is underway under the aegis of the state government. Capacity building of investigating officers through regular training courses as well as by providing them with effective tools is helping us to perform more professionally. Reduction of the level of pendency of cases and improving the rate of conviction are our other priority areas. The numbers of investigating officers are being augmented by filling of the vacancies while regular coordination is maintained with other pillars of criminal justice system like Prosecution, Judiciary, Health Department, Transport Department and Forensic Science Labs.

I am pleased to share that the pendency of cases in Assam which was 1,09,081 at the end of May,2021 has been brought down to 83,947 at the end of April,2022 as a result of strenuous efforts by Assam Police under the able guidance of the dynamic state leadership.

We have also taken a number of steps for handling cases of cybercrime which includes procurement of cybercrime first responder kits, inauguration of CCPWC Lab and launch of an emergency number 1930 for financial frauds.

Last but not the least, your views on women safety and security in the state.

When I took office, Assam was in an unenviable position with one of the highest crime rates against women. Given how we perceived our Assamese society where women were always held in highest esteem, this was a rude shock to me personally. Right from Day 1 as DGP, I made it a personal mission of mine to change the image portrayed nationally by such crime data. The state government has zero tolerance on crime against women and children. This synergy of vision has led to a sea change. Women are safe and enjoy more freedom in Assam.

Number of cases of crime against women may not always reflect the true picture though. It may also be an indicator of women safety. Higher number of cases, in a way, reflects empowerment of women and the trust they pose in the police and the system. We have taken a number of steps for enhancing women safety. Integrated help line number 112 is in trial stage. 30% of posts in the UB stream in Assam Police have been reserved for women in order to improve their percentage in Assam Police. Special Cells have started functioning in 11 districts of Assam with help from Tata Institute of Social Science. 200 Women Helpdesks are being setup in Police Stations across the state. Investigations of serious crimes are being completed fast while maintaining the requisite sensitivity towards the victims. In a large number of cases the accused persons have been awarded capital punishment. For example, recently 3 accused persons have been sentenced with death penalty in a case of Kokrajhar district where two young girls were gangraped and murdered in the most heinous and cold blooded manner.

I would also like to share that Assam Police has limited role in preventing crime against women committed at work place and within their homes. The society as a whole should come together to uplift itself and be the proud protector of the culture of the land of Kanaklata.

The online victimization of women is cause of serious concern and Assam Police is cognizant of this burning problem. We have taken a number of steps to protect the women in cyber space and to identify the offenders.

While we take all steps to bring the perpetrators of crime to book, we also have a victim centric approach through women friendly policing. Our officers have been sensitised to treat the survivors with sensibility and empathy. We have been making sincere efforts as first responders to extend support and assistance to women in distress by linking them with various service providers for shelter, counselling, medical treatment, free legal aid relief and compensation, etc.

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